SWITZERLAND, Fla. – Like any other end to the school week, Laurie Zentz had her band class engaged and focused Friday on the lesson plans for the day. She and her students had no idea that she was about to receive the surprise of a lifetime! From a group of 72 teachers, Laurie Zentz of Switzerland Point Middle School in St. Johns County was chosen as one of five finalists to compete for the 2017 Macy’s/Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year award.
“Congratulations to Laurie Zentz for being named a finalist for this prestigious award. Her dedication and commitment to her students is testament to the hard work educators do every day in classrooms to strengthen the future of the state of Florida,” said Dennis Witte, Macy’s executive vice president.
Florida Department of Education Commissioner, Pam Stewart was also on hand for the presentation.
The Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors the contributions of outstanding classroom teachers who have demonstrated a superior capacity to inspire a love of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities. For the past 28 years, Macy’s, along with the Florida Department of Education, has honored the most exceptional educators in Florida who make magic in and out of their classrooms every day.
Upon receiving the good news, Zentz was presented with a $15,000 check from the Florida Department of Education and Macy’s, and a $500 Macy’s gift card. A $1,000 check, funded by Macy’s, was presented to the finalist’s school. Macy’s will contribute more than $100,000 in cash to the state-run Teacher of the Year program, as it has done since 1988. This year, Gov. Rick Scott secured additional state funds for teachers in the Teacher of the Year program to significantly increase these awards for Florida educators.
In addition to a $20,000 award funded by Macy’s and the Department of Education, the Teacher of the Year will receive awards from Macy’s including an all-expense paid trip for four to New York City to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The winner will also serve for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education, touring the state to spread the word about educational opportunities and challenges in the Sunshine State.
This year’s five finalists were chosen from more than 194,519 public school teachers throughout the state by a Department of Education-appointed selection committee representing teachers, principals, parents and the business community. Each finalist is selected on the basis of outstanding ability to teach and communicate knowledge of the subject taught, professional development, philosophy of teaching, and outstanding school and community service.
During the gala event in July, each of the remaining nominees will be presented with a $10,000 personal cash award from the Department of Education and Macy’s.
To date, Macy’s has contributed almost $3 million to teachers throughout the state.