2017 Teacher of the Year
2017 Virginia Teacher of the Year
Toney Lee McNair Jr., a choral music teacher at Indian River Middle School in Chesapeake, was named 2017 Virginia Teacher of the Year during an October 17th recognition event at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.
View the video from the 2017 Teacher of the Year announcement.
2017 Regional Teachers of the Year
Region 1
Louise Thornton
Prince George High School
Prince George County
Teaching Area: 12th Government
Region 2
Toney McNair, Jr.
Indian River Middle School
Chesapeake City
Teaching Area: 6th-8th Choral Music
Region 3
Carolyn Kleinert
Freedom Middle School
Spotsylvania County
Teaching Area: 7th-8th Spanish
Region 4
Heidi Trude
Skyline High School
Warren County
Teaching Area: 8th-12th French
Region 5
Crystal DeLong
Liberty High School
Bedford County
Teaching Area: 9th and 12th Social Studies
Region 6
Jason Ince
Chatham High School
Pittsylvania County
Teaching Area: 9th-12th Agriculture
Region 7
Beth Shell
Lee County Career and Technical Center
Lee County
Teaching Area: 8th-12th Agriculture Education
Region 8
Katie McCann
Appomattox County Elementary School
Appomattox County
Teaching Area: 5th Language Arts/Reading
2016 Virginia Teacher of the Year
Natalie DiFusco-Funk is a fifth-grade teacher at West Salem Elementary in Salem. DiFusco-Funk, the Region 6 Teacher of the Year, was selected as the 2016 Virginia Teacher of the Year after being interviewed by a committee that included representatives of professional and educational associations, the business community and 2015 Virginia Teacher of the Year Jaclyn Marie Roller Ryan.
View video from the 2016 Teacher of the Year announcement, held at the Executive Mansion in Richmond.
2016 Regional Teachers of the Year
Region 1
Christopher Averill,
History teacher at Cosby High in Chesterfield County
Region 2
Lauren Osborn,
English teacher at Poquoson High in Poquoson
Region 3
Stacey Rice-Lee,
English teacher at Northumberland Middle in Northumberland County
Region 4
Kimberly Scott,
English teacher at Franklin Middle in Fairfax County
Region 5
Kenneth “Spence” White Jr.,
Drama, stagecraft and public speaking teacher at Jefferson Forrest High in Bedford County
Region 7
Ruthanne Cole,
Science teacher at Bland County High in Bland County
Region 8
Edward McCann Jr.,
Agricultural education teacher at Appomattox County High in Appomattox County
2015 Virginia Teacher of the Year
Jaclyn Marie Roller Ryan is an agriscience teacher and Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor at Signal Knob Middle in Shenandoah County. Ryan, the Region 4 teacher, was selected after being interviewed by a committee that included representatives of professional and educational associations, the business community and 2014 Virginia Teacher of the Year and 2014 National Teacher of the Year finalist Melissa A. Porfirio of Fairfax.
2015 Regional Teachers of the Year
See the September 17, 2014 News Release: Governor McAuliffe Announces Eight 2015 Virginia Regional Teachers of the Year.
Region 1
Tara Louise Brunyansky,
Chemistry teacher at James River High in Chesterfield County
Region 2
Bevin Kateri Reinen,
First-grade teacher at Three Oaks Elementary in Virginia Beach
Region 3
Jennifer (Jenn) Horsley Worrell,
Fourth-grade language arts teacher at Petsworth Elementary in Gloucester County
Region 5
Gerin Elizabeth Martin,
Early childhood special education teacher at the Hutcherson Early Learning Program in Lynchburg
Region 6
Matthew (Matt) Terry Newton,
Special education teacher at Fishburn Elementary in Roanoke
Region 7
Mark Thomas Merz,
Early childhood education teacher at Oak Point Elementary in Smyth County
Region 8
Kelly Sue Jones,
World history and sociology teacher at Greensville County High in Greensville County
2014 Virginia Teacher of the Year
Melissa A. Porfirio, a first-grade teacher at Crestwood Elementary School in Fairfax County, is the 2014 Virginia Teacher of the Year, having previously been named Region 4 Teacher of the Year. A teacher for eight years, Porfirio earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Catholic University and a master’s degree in education, curriculum and instruction from George Mason University.
- Melissa Porfirio’s Profile in Practice – 2014 National Teacher of the Year Finalist video from the Teaching Channel
2014 Regional Teachers of the Year
Region 1
Tracey Zaval
Eighth-grade civics and economics teacher at Midlothian Middle in Chesterfield County
Region 2
Carrie E. Gantt
Eleventh and twelfth-grade English teacher and Teachers for Tomorrow instructor at Princess Anne High in Virginia Beach
Region 3
Tara J. Hefner
Second-grade teacher at Courtland Elementary in Spotsylvania County
Region 5
Jennifer B. Lovett
Reading specialist at Linkhorne Elementary in Lynchburg
Region 6
Byard W. “Trey” Harris III
Music teacher and band director at Bassett High in Henry County
Region 7
Tina H. Cook
Computer technology teacher at Chilhowie Middle in Smyth County
Region 8
Shawnta L. Posey-James
Earth science teacher at Greensville County High in Greensville County