Florida’s Teacher of the Year awarded, MCPS teacher named runner-up

Forest High School mathematics teacher Jennifer Brown (second to right) stands on stage as title for Florida Teacher of the Year is awarded to Hernando County teacher Jaime Suarez on July 25 [Florida Department of Education].

A Marion County teacher made it all the way to the state-level competition for Teacher of the Year and is coming home as a runner-up with $20,000 in prize money. The winner, from Hernando County, was announced on July 25.

Jennifer Brown, a mathematics teacher from Forest High School, was one of five finalists in the entire state for this year’s Florida Teacher of the Year. The award went to Jaime Suarez, a mathematics teacher at the Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics in Hernando County

Before the award was announced, all five finalists received $20,000 in prize money from Gov. Ron DeSantis for the accomplishment. After winning the Marion County Teacher of the Year, Brown was also awarded with a free three-year lease for a 2024 Subaru Outback from Jenkins Auto Group.

“All finalists have demonstrated a deep passion for teaching and have made a significant impact in their respective classrooms and school communities. Their commitment to nurturing young minds and inspiring fellow educators has set them apart as exemplary role models for both students and teachers,” said the Florida Department of Education in a press release.

Brown has been teaching for 21 years and taught in the Marion County school district for the last nine years. She came to Forest High School in 2020 and teaches both geometry and trigonometry.

“Teachers don’t get acknowledged very often for the work that we do and so it’s really something to hear other people appreciate what I do,” Brown said after winning Marion County Teacher of the Year. “That’s the biggest thing, just the acknowledgment that this brings for education in Marion County.”