Staff

The selection of Melissa Brinson May 5 as one of five finalists for the Florida Department of Education/Macy’s Florida Teacher of the Year honor may have been the best kept secret ever in Suwannee County but only for a little while.

More than a dozen Suwannee residents knew about this momentous occasion in advance and kept it quiet until the big moment last Friday morning at Suwannee Middle School where a very surprised Brinson learned she is joining a very elite group of Florida teachers who have been named the best of the best. And, Brinson, who is the current Suwannee County Teacher of the Year, could even be named the top teacher in Florida July 12 when a special banquet is held in Orlando at Hard Rock Live! at Universal Studios City Walk to honor all five of the finalists and name the top teacher for 2007.

Present for the big occasion were Florida Department of Education, Gov. Jeb Bush’s teacher-in-residence, representatives of Macy’s which sponsors the award, media, Brinson’s family and top School District people who jammed into SMS’s foyer to pull the secret rabbit out of the hat.

The atmosphere was electric as everyone waited for SMS Principal Nori Steele to bring Brinson to the front office. When she rounded the corner and saw all the people, Brinson stopped in disbelief. Flashes went off, cameras recorded the look of wonder on Brinson’s face as she was told she had been named one of five finalists for Florida Department of Education/Macy’s Teacher of the Year!

“When I saw all the state officials, I knew,” Brinson said about her first thoughts when she rounded that corner in the hallway and saw the crowd. She said she had been told earlier there would be a lot of people in the school that day from FCAT but she never knew it was all about her until she rounded that corner!

Those on hand for the announcement included Florida’s Deputy Education Chancellor Pam Stewart who traveled from Tallahassee to surprise Brinson with the award, Gov. Jeb Bush’s Teacher -In-Residence Sharon Burnette, Macy’s CEO Julie Greiner. Suwannee County Superintendent of Schools Walter Boatright was there, as well as several Suwannee County School Board members and many School District employees.

“We think this is the first time anyone from Suwannee County has ever been selected as a state finalist,” Boatright said.

On hand to enjoy Brinson’s success was her husband, Terry and son T.J. “I had no idea why I was here until 10 minutes before they brought her down,” Terry said. Terry said he was thrilled for his wife.

Brinson’s son T.J. was called out of PE class to watch his mother get her award. He said he was really happy for her as he gave her a hug and a kiss. He plans to go into the Army after graduating, which is a family tradition.

As a finalist for Florida Teacher of the Year comes with its monetary rewards, Brinson was presented a check for $5,000 and a $500 Macy’s gift card to use for her wardrobe for the big event. Suwannee Middle School received a check for $1,000.

According to her fellow teachers, she earned this honor by going above and beyond what is expected so her students will know she cares about them.

Brinson, a 1974 graduate of Suwannee High, is a graduate of FSU and began teaching in 1982. She’s taught a variety of subjects, age groups and students from kindergarten to high school and from home economics to science. This year she is a seventh-grade science teacher.

Brinson said she had to produce a two-minute video clip of her teaching for the state awards nomination after being named Suwannee County Teacher of the Year. “They told me to prepare a lesson plan, so I did,” Brinson said. Brinson had the help of Shawn Fletcher of Tan Fletcher Media Consultants, Inc. for her video production. Fletcher filmed her in the classroom and then Brinson and Fletcher edited the final clip.

Brinson and four other state teachers will now have to wait until July to find out which of them will be the Florida Department of Education/Macy’s Teacher of the Year. The winner gets a year off from the classroom to tour the state on behalf of Macy’s and will serve for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for education, touring the state to spread the word about educational opportunities and challenges in the Sunshine State.

“At Macy’s, we feel teachers are our state’s greatest human resources. That’s one reason why we’re proud of our long-standing commitment to education in Florida,” said Julie Greiner, chairman and CEO, Macy’s Florida. “The Teacher of the Year program gives us the opportunity to honor the best in the state, as well as motivate teachers to strive for excellence in their communities.”

The state teacher of the year will also receives a total cash prize of $10,000, an all-expense paid trip to New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as being eligible for National Teacher of the Year.

A DOE appointed selection committee chose the finalists this year from more than 177,000 public school teachers throughout the state. Each finalist is chosen on the basis of superior ability to teach and communicate knowledge of the subject taught, professional development, philosophy of teaching and outstanding school and community service. The most important qualification is the teacher’s superior capacity to inspire a love of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities,” said DOE Commissioner John L. Winn.