Valeria Brown, a teacher from Jackson Heights Middle School in Oviedo, was named as the 2013 Seminole County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Dr. Bill Vogel made the surprise announcement in her classroom as School Board members, district and school administrators, family and students looked on and cheered.
Mrs. Brown has taught Language Arts at Jackson Heights Middle School for the past four years where she is known as Miss Sunshine. She has a bachelor degree from the University of Florida and two master degrees from Florida Atlantic University and University of Central Florida. Her husband, Paul, is the Women’s Track and Field coach at the University of Central Florida. They have two pre-school aged children.
Winston Bailey, Principal of Jackson Heights wrote, “This year I have received several emails from parents expressing great satisfaction with the rigor and relevance of the curriculum presented by Mrs. Brown and about the excellent respectful relationships that she has developed with their children. The parents specifically pointed to the community projects that the students were involved with and all the high level practical applications – the research, the organization, the leadership skills, the use of technology, the presentation etc. Parents said their children have never been so interested in school before.”
He added, “When you have hundreds of kids saying that when they grow up they want to be like Mrs. Brown you know you have someone very special.
The 2013 Teacher of the Year event celebrating all sixty-three 2013 Seminole County Teachers of the Year will be held at the Hilton Altamonte Springs, 350 S. North Lake Blvd., Altamonte Springs, on Thursday, March 29.
