Three East County teachers are 'Educator of the Year' finalists

Three East County teachers have earned recognition as "Educator of the Year" finalists in the Manatee County School District.

Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene, Board Chair Charlie Kennedy and Board Member Gina Messenger stopped by their respective schools this week to deliver the news.

The four overall finalists for "Educator of the Year" are Joseph Baker, a sixth grade social studies teacher at Buffalo Creek Middle; Josephine Johnson, a kindergarten teacher at Tara Elementary; Nicholas Leduc, a fourth grade teacher at Braden River Elementary, and Courtney Walker, a second grade teacher at Bashaw Elementary. 

The individual who wins "Educator of the Year" will advance to the Florida Department of Education Macy’s Teacher of the Year competition. 

Four support employees also were honored. No East County employee was in that group.

“The finalists that are being announced are great examples of the kind of caring and committed employees we have in this school district,” Greene said in a press release. “I look forward to celebrating the work these employees have done for our students and schools at the Excellence in Education Awards on March 8.”

The finalists are scheduled to be honored, as well as the announcing of the "Educator of the Year" and "Support Employee of the Year," at the Excellence In Education Awards ceremony on March 8, 2017. The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at Manatee Technical College's main campus in Bradenton.