Golden Apple Teacher Class of 2024 Announced Alongside School-Related Employee Honors
MARION COUNTY – Marion County Public Schools’ (MCPS) top teachers received Golden Apples today, spotlighting them during surprise classroom visits as finalists for Teacher of the Year.
As well, the district, through the Public Education Foundation of Marion County which announces Golden Apple teachers, also honored one teaching newcomer as the Rookie Teacher of the Year and another worker as the district’s School-Related Employee of the Year.
An entourage including Superintendent of Schools Dr. Diane Gullett, Marion County School Board members, Foundation Executive Director Meghan Magamoll, and others, surprised all recipients starting at 8:15 a.m. and continuing for 93 miles taking several hours.
Golden Apple recipients and finalists for Marion County’s 2024 Teacher of the Year include:
Forest High School – Jennifer Brown, a 21-year classroom veteran, teaches Mathematics including Geometry. She joined MCPS in 2015 and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary/Middle Education and Mathematics from the University of Northern Iowa.
Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks – Timothy Mathews teaches Drama and has a decade of experience including the last three years with MCPS. Previously he taught in Pasco and Pinellas Counties. His Bachelor of Arts in American Culture and Society is from Eckerd College while his master’s in Education comes from Concordia University-Portland.
Maplewood Elementary School – Alysia Hoekstra has spent her entire 16-year teaching career with MCPS and teaches fourth-grade Reading. She’s been honored three times for her teaching – twice before as her school’s teacher of the year and once as its rookie teacher of the year. Her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication comes from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
North Marion High School – Miranda Brogan has spent all seven years of her teaching career with MCPS. A North Marion High graduate, Brogan earned her bachelor’s in History from the University of Florida. She teachers 10th, 11th, and 12th graders in her school’s Cambridge AICE Program (Advanced International Certificate of Education), an accelerated program for dedicated learners.
Osceola Middle School – Stephanie Prisciandaro is a 19-year classroom veteran who teaches Reading Competency and Spanish and leads new teachers at her school. Her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Education come from the University of Florida while her master’s in Educational Leadership is from Saint Leo University.
At Greenway Elementary School, the entourage surprised first-grade teacher Carlie Schrimsher by naming her the 2024 Rookie Teacher of the Year. Schrimsher is in just her second year of teaching and is a Foundation Teacher-To-Be scholarship recipient. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Central Florida.
MCPS also handed out its School Related Employee of the Year honor to Edward Lanza, a retired U.S. Army veteran and paraprofessional at Saddlewood Elementary School. The father of a 2021 MCPS Golden Apple teacher, Lanza was recognized for “exceeding every expectation every single time” when it comes to his principal asking his help for extra tasks, staying late, and providing innovative solutions to improve his school’s day-to-day operations.
The five Golden Apple recipients, Rookie Teacher of the Year, and the School Related Employee of the Year will participate in the Golden Apple Gala on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at 7 p.m. at the Reilly Arts Center in Ocala. The event airs live on the Marion Education Channel and is livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/MarionCountyK12).
At the Gala, one of the five finalists will be named Marion County’s 2024 Golden Apple Teacher of the Year and drive away in a new, pre-paid, three-year leased vehicle from Jenkins Auto Group.
For more information, contact Executive Director Meghan Magamoll with the Public Education Foundation of Marion County at [email protected] or 352.671.4160.