Teacher of the Year finalists for 2023 announced

Six special teachers received a big surprise in their classrooms on Friday: a golden apple. This was no ordinary apple—the award signified the educators’ nominations for 2023 Teacher of the Year and one teacher’s award as the 2023 Rookie Teacher of the Year.

Lindsey Bigelow, Ocala Springs Elementary

Lindsey Bigelow from Ocala Springs Elementary School, John Gibb from Lake Weir High School, Cheryl Goldner from Saddlewood Elementary School, Nedra Huggins from Belleview Middle School and Jamie Roche from Maplewood Elementary School all are finalists to be crowned Marion County Public School’s top teacher for 2023.

In addition, Jennifer Bachman from Hammett L. Bowen Jr. Elementary School won the 2023 Rookie Teacher of the Year. Erin Webber, a guidance clerk and front desk receptionist from Fort McCoy School, won the MCPS School-Related Employee of the Year. The Above and Beyond Award went to Mark White, a technical service and school maintenance worker at Vanguard High School.

Jennifer Bachman from Hammett L. Bowen Jr. Elementary School

The nomination process begins when each school selects its choices for Teacher and Rookie Teacher of the Year. All of these teachers create a written portfolio that is reviewed by a committee who narrows down candidates and conducts interviews to make the final selection of nominees, said Meghan Magamoll, executive director of the Public Education Foundation.

“The Golden Apple program is able to encourage them and say, “We see you. We believe in you, and we want to lift you up and celebrate the work that you do every day,’ even though they don’t expect it,” said Magamoll.

Bigelow teaches third grade at Ocala Springs Elementary, but previously taught kindergarten and first grade at the school. She has taught for 10 years and has spent her entire educational career in MCPS. Bigelow is a former MCPS student and also coaches varsity cheerleading at Forest High School.

Gibb teaches pre-International Baccalaureate English, English 1, Honors English 2 and journalism classes at Lake Weir High School. Gibb has been a teacher for seven years, all of which have been spent in MCPS. In 2018, Gibb was awarded Rookie Teacher of the Year while working at LWHS.

John Gibb, Lake Weir High

Goldner is a math and science teacher for fourth grade students at Saddlewood Elementary School. This is Goldner’s sixth year teaching in MCPS. Her classroom is an “Exceptional Student Education (ESE) inclusion room with diverse levels of learners, including those with learning disabilities,” she said via LinkedIn.

Cheryl Goldner, Saddlewood Elementary

Huggins teaches sixth, seventh and eighth grade at Belleview Middle School. She specializes in health sciences and teaches introductory classes. Huggins also serves as the faculty adviser for HOSA, a student-led organization for future health professionals. She has been a teacher for 20 years, 15 of which have been spent in MCPS.

Nedra Huggins, Belleview Middle School

Roche is an art teacher for every grade level at Maplewood Elementary School. She has taught at Maplewood Elementary for 10 years. Before teaching at Maplewood Elementary, she taught at Emerald Shores Elementary for 13 years.

Jamie Roche, Maplewood Elementary

The award of Rookie Teacher of the Year goes to educators with no more than three years of classroom experience. This year’s recipient, Bachman, teaches ESE. She has taught at Hammett L. Bowen Jr. Elementary School for one and a half years, with two and a half total years of classroom experience.

The five finalists for 2023 Teacher of the Year and the winner of the 2023 Rookie Teacher of the Year will be honored at the Golden Apple Gala on Feb. 4. The Teacher of the Year winner will be announced then, and they will walk away with a new car, a pre-paid three-year lease from Jenkins Auto Group.

“Recognizing our teachers validates the work that they are doing,” said Magamoll. “Most of our teachers are humble. They serve our students day in and day out without an expectation of a reward.”