Juan Toro is the 2019 Teacher of the Year for American High School (AHS). Toro joined AHS’s faculty 12 years ago. Since his arrival, he has taken on several responsibilities. He is an engaging member of the Sunshine Committee, EESAC committee, a leader in the mathematics department, and overall an asset to the school. With his lively nature and expertise, he has positively influenced the culture of the mathematics team, and impacted the lives...

Liza Hernandez has been a teacher at Bob Graham Education Center (BGEC) for three years and has been named Rookie Teacher of the Year. Hernandez currently teaches seventh grade Language Arts and is the sponsor for the National Elementary Honor Society. Hernandez has always enjoyed helping others learn and grow. Her goal in the classroom has always been to help her students develop a growth mindset of succeeding and being able to believe that...

After an all school mass prior to Thanksgiving at Monsignor Edward Pace High School (PACE) students, faculty and staff cheered enthusiastically as principal Garcia announced that “Teacher of the Year” had been awarded to long time fine arts teacher, Marcel Navarro. For Navarro, who has been a member of PACE’S faculty since 1999, art has always been a part of who he is and he attributes this to several individuals throughout his life. His...

The “values matter for the month” of December at Spanish Lake Elementary School featured citizenship. Sharon Wallen’s fifth grade students went caroling and visited each class throughout the school singing Bob Marley’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World”. During daily morning announcements students shared the duties, obligations and functions of a citizen. They recited The Preamble to The...

There was an exuberant roar Natara Tisdol’s Miami Lakes Middle School’s classroom when she was announced as the Teacher of the Year over the public-address system. Tisdol’s name was called and her heart began to race. The feeling was surreal. Tisdol said she is humbled to be recommended and voted as Teacher of the Year. It meant a lot to be recognized by her colleagues as one deserving of such an accolade. Tisdol hopes that her students...