Superintendent E. Wayne Gent, accompanied by School Board Chairman Dr. Donna Mills, School Board Vice Chairman Troy Ingersoll, Board Member Debbie Hawley, Assistant to the Superintendent Dr. Kevin Perry, and Education Foundation Chair Thom Jones paid surprise visits to this year’s finalists for Teacher of the Year. Heydeys Sanchez, a 3rd-grade teacher at Mariposa Elementary, Tucker Young, a civics teacher at Manatee Academy K8; and John Renschler, a first-grade teacher at Samuel S. Gaines Academy are the finalists who have the distinction of representing the School District at this year’s Night of the Stars event.
St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) Superintendent E. Wayne Gent said, “Our Teacher of the Year finalists represent what’s best about our team of 2,500 dedicated and committed teachers who change the lives of students every day in St. Lucie County. The impact they are making is evidenced by the School District’s continual academic growth.”
Locally, one of the three finalists will be selected as the SLPS Teacher of the Year during the virtual Night of the Stars event scheduled for February 5, 2022. The winner will then represent SLPS in the Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year Program.
The local Night of the Stars annual event is sponsored by the Education Foundation of St. Lucie County. Thom Jones, president of the Education Foundation, explained that MIDFLORIDA Credit Union is the sponsor of the local Teacher of the Year category. “This is an exciting year. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors we will honor our winners with very special recognitions this year.”
Heydys Sanchez, Mariposa Elementary
Tucker Young, Manatee Academy K8
John Renschler, Sameul S. Gaines Academy
