Sunday I drove back up to Tallahassee to host a special dinner. This was my opportunity to honor our 2009 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year finalists. All five came to Tallahassee to be interviewed by Commissioner Smith and a selection committee tasked with choosing our next Florida Teacher of the Year. When I came up last year with my fellow finalists it was a special time. We got to know each other, we bonded and we became friends. It is my hope this new group shared a similar experience. The only thing missing for us last year was the opportunity to have many of our questions answered by the only person who could answer them. So this year I decided that a new tradition should begin and I set this dinner up as a get together and an opportunity for each of the finalists to ask their questions. It is my hope that the next Florida TOY will think this was a valuable experience and will continue the tradition.Meanwhile I headed home this morning while they each enjoyed a day of interviews.
So, congratulations to each of the finalists:
Jean Lamar from Callahan Middle School in Nassau County
Jennifer Bohn from Evans High School in Orange County
Danny Whittenton from Kathleen High School in Polk County
Kevin Holland from Pace High School in Santa Rosa County
Jeanne Wright from Cypress Creek Elementary School in Volusia County
You are each incredible representatives of teaching in Florida and I will be honored to have any of you representing us as the next 2009 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year. It was a pleasure to meet each of you and have the opportunity to spend the evening getting to know you all better. The Florida Teacher of the Year Roundtable is just around the corner and I'm just glad it isn't me waiting this year!
