Christian Peterson
Reporter@riverbendnews.org
On Tuesday, May 9, Dr. Paul Burns, Chancellor for the Florida Department of Education's Division of Public Schools, paid a visit to Hamilton County Elementary School (HCES). The visit came as a surprise, but with good news. Burns came to the school to announce that local teacher Kimberly Crowder had been nominated as one of five finalists for the State of Florida Teacher of the Year competition.
Each year, 74 school districts select a representative as the District Teacher of the Year. All the way back in February, Crowder's nomination was submitted to the Education Department for review. After months of waiting, the Department of Education gave exciting news to the top five finalists. The finalists will all have the opportunity to visit the Department of Education and meet with the legislature and other employees that help build and improve the education system in Florida.
During their time at the department, each of the five finalists will be interviewed as a final evaluation for a decision to be made about who will win. Then, in July, at the Teacher of the Year Gala, a winner will be announced and named as the 2024 Teacher of the Year and Christa McAuliffe Ambassador. Keep an eye on the Riverbend News to see if our local teacher can take home this prestigious honor.