Jane Araguez, the Brevard Public Schools 2017 Teacher of the Year, received statewide recognition and an award of $1,000 from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF) and Florida Power & Light July 14 for tremendous impact on the lives of her students, school and community.
She was chosen from among 67 county-wide teacher of the year honorees as the CFEF’s annual “Invested In Excellence” recipient for exemplary dedication to her students. Florida Power & Light sponsored the award with FPL Education Manager Maureen Wilt making the surprise announcement during concluding presentations at the Macy’s/Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year Program in Orlando.
Jane Araguez, 2017 Invested in Excellence award winner, with Janice Kershaw, Executive Director, Brevard Schools Foundation, Maureen Wilt, Education Program Manager at Florida Power & Light, and Mary Chance, President/CEO, Consortium of Florida Education Foundations
Ms. Araguez is described by her principal as a “master at building relationships“, and by a colleague, as “one of those teachers you come across once in a great while. Throughout her years of teaching, she has touched hundreds of children from all backgrounds, abilities and ages, making them all feel welcome in her class. As a mentor teacher at her school, she shares her years of experience and wealth of knowledge with staff. She is an excellent, supportive role model who demonstrates selflessness and devotion to her entire school family.”
“We know it takes extra effort for teachers to seek business and community involvement and investment in their classrooms, which is a large part of what local education foundations do in providing classroom grants and other above-and-beyond opportunities for teachers and students,” said Mary Chance, president of the CFEF. “We sponsor this award with our business partner Florida Power & Light to annually celebrate a teacher of the year honoree who has a consistent focus on excellence in their classroom, including bringing outside resources and opportunities for their students.”
The CFEF is the membership organization for Florida’s school district-wide local education foundations, including the Brevard Schools Foundation. Established in 1987, the CFEF now has 63 member foundations with 1,100 business and community leaders serving as volunteer board members. Collectively, they raise more than $63 million annually to support students, teachers and schools through a variety of programs.