One of five finalists for Florida’s top teacher will soon be named the 2013 Macy’s/Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year. This year’s winning teacher will be announced in front of an audience of their peers, family members and friends at the Hard Rock Live at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday, July 12 at 6:30 p.m.
“Macy’s is honored to support Florida’s teachers, who are the backbone of Florida’s educational system,†said Mike Krauter, Macy’s President of Stores. “We congratulate each of our incredibly dedicated and passionate five finalists for their extraordinary efforts in creating magical learning experiences for our youth to reach their full potential in both school and life.â€
The five teacher finalists are:
·     9th through 12th English and Technology Teacher Jeffrey Pribble of Escambia High School in Escambia County
·     4th and 5th Grade General Education Teacher Megan Crombie of Riversink Elementary School in Wakulla County
·     6th through 8th Social Studies Teacher Dawn Voyer of Cypress Lake Middle School in Lee County
·     9th through 12th Grade Reading and College Readiness Teacher Nanci Brillant of Saint Cloud High School in Osceola County
·     Pre-Kindergarden Special Education Teacher Alexandre Lopes of Carol City Elementary School in Miami-Dade County
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The 2013 Macy’s/Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year Awards Gala will be hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor, Deborah Norville and is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Florida Commissioner of Education Gerard Robinson and Macy’s President of Stores Mike Krauter will open the sealed envelope to reveal the name of this year’s top educator in Florida – an announcement that could mark the pinnacle of any of these accomplished teachers’ careers.
For the 24th year, Macy’s will sponsor and produce the awards ceremony.  During the event, the remaining 67 nominees from around the state will be recognized for their achievements and excellence in teaching. Each of the nominees will be presented with a $750 personal cash award and a $250 grant for their school, funded by the Macy’s Foundation.
In addition to the $10,000 grant funded by the Macy’s Foundation, 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. To date, Macy’s and the Macy’s Foundation havecontributed over $2 million to teachers throughout the state.
This year’s five finalists were chosen from more than 180,000 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. The winner must also show a superior capacity to inspire a love of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities.