For Immediate Release: April 17, 2024
Contact: communications@doe.virginia.gov
Todd.Reid@doe.virginia.gov
RICHMOND – Genevieve Weaver, an adapted special education teacher at Bedford County Public Schools’ Jefferson Forest High School, has been named the 2025 Virginia Regional Teacher of the Year (Region 5) by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Weaver has been a teacher and a mentor for four years.
“The dedication and commitment Mrs. Weaver has towards supporting her students and the Jefferson Forest High School community is inspiring,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. “She has built collaborative classrooms tailored to her students’ unique abilities and has helped shape the culture at her school. It is wonderful to be here today joining her students, their families, and her colleagues to help celebrate the selfless and invaluable work she does every single day.”
Weaver has devoted her life to support people with disabilities and their families, and to the belief that everyone can learn. Intentional about cultivating experiences her students wouldn’t otherwise experience in their self-contained classroom, Weaver ongoingly seeks opportunities where her students feel a sense of unity, purpose, and connection, and works diligently to understand the needs of each student and family.
By providing her students guiding instructions and establishing relationships with local organizations, Weaver counteracts barriers that might keep her students from engaging in the community. She also helps connect individual students with local organizations which are logistically feasible for them to participate with once they graduate. With parental consent and input, Weaver helps develop relationships with organizations whose needs match the skills of individual students. In one case, for one of her students who enjoys being outside and has strong gross motor skills, she reached out to a local farm and secured an internship opportunity. Together, this student and Weaver go weekly to complete tasks at the farm with the goal of employment once they graduate.
“I ask all our teachers to do three things for our students: ensure they are physically safe, know they are loved and cared for, and that they learn something every day,” said Bedford County Public Schools Superintendent Marc Bergin. “I am proud to say that no one does that better than Mrs. Weaver."
Weaver’s impact goes far beyond the classroom walls. She dedicates her spare time to the non-profit inclusive workplace she helped create, craveABLEs, currently serving as its vice president, social media manager, and grant writer. craveABLEs aims to empower people with intellectual disabilities by providing meaningful employment or skill development, opportunities for social integration, and ultimately works towards changing perceptions of disability in the community through the means of an inclusive ice cream trailer and storefront.
“Mrs. Weaver’s energy and love for her students are obvious to anyone who meets her,” said Jefferson Forest High School Principal Brian Wilson. “She works with our students with the greatest needs, and she meets those needs daily. She partners with a team of teachers and paraprofessionals to provide well-planned individualized support for all students and goes above and beyond to help each student grow.”
She is currently a Global Autism Project SkillCorps member and was previously a member of the Council for Exceptional Children. Weaver also serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care.
Weaver received a bachelor’s degree in special education integrated studies and bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Liberty University. She’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in special education with concentration and licensure in visual impairment from Radford University.
The announcement of Weaver’s nomination coincided with a surprise visit from Superintendent Coons. Weaver and the seven other regional Teachers of the Year will join the Teacher Advisory Council, helping elevate the voices and perspectives of all Virginia teachers on VDOE’s work.
All eight Regional Teachers of the Year are nominees for the 2025 Mary V. Bicouvaris Virginia Teacher of the Year Award. The final Virginia Teacher of the Year Award will be announced later this spring.
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