Governor Rick Scott Announces Diane McKee as Florida's 2016 Teacher of the Year

Press Release

This evening, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced Diane McKee, a language arts teacher at Williams Middle Magnet School in Hillsborough County, as the 2016 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year. Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart and Macy's Executive Vice President Darlene Hanes joined Governor Scott to make the announcement during an awards ceremony honoring the state's top educators.

Governor Scott said, "Florida is home to many outstanding teachers, and today I am proud to announce Diane McKee as Florida's Teacher of the Year for her excellence in the classroom. Diane reflects Florida's commitment to providing the best education possible for our students. I am confident she will continue to inspire others in her role as an ambassador for the Florida Department of Education and teachers across the state. Florida teachers do so much to prepare our students for their future careers and this year we have invested an historic $19.7 billion in our K-12 schools to ensure our students get the best education."

"It is an honor to recognize Diane McKee as the 2016 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year," said Commissioner Stewart. "The role of Teacher of Year is a significant one to the education community. I am confident that Diane will inspire teachers and help shape the conversation about education."

"Teachers generously give of themselves every day to educate children, and in doing so, elevate and empower future generations to achieve great things," said Darlene Hanes, Macy's Executive Vice President and Regional Director of Stores. "Macy's is grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate with and honor Diane McKee for her selfless dedication and commitment to education. We wish her success with her upcoming year inspiring her colleagues to promote the power of high quality educators in Florida."

Hillsborough District Superintendent Jeff Eakins said, "Every student has a teacher who sticks out in their mind as having had a significant impact on their education. Ms. McKee has earned this honor and is a true example of how Hillsborough County Public Schools is preparing students for life."

The winner will serve for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education, touring the state to share educational opportunities in Florida. In addition, Macy's presented Diane McKee with a check for $10,000, a $1,000 wardrobe, a $1,000 check for her school and an all-expense paid trip for four to New York City to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Three additional awards were presented at the gala. The Macy's Magic of Leadership award was presented to Beth Piccolo from A. Crawford Mosley High School in Bay County for being an exemplary leader, taking up the challenge of heading a two-man JROTC program for her school; the Macy's Magic of Teaching award was presented to Edward Wolff from Belle Terre Elementary in Flagler County for his creativity and initiative in his STEM classroom and bringing workforce relevance to his curriculum; and the Macy's Magic of Caring award was presented to Donna Barber from Franklin County School in Franklin County for her work and commitment to students with learning disabilities. Each recipient was honored with the award and a $1,000 Macy's gift card.

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