Kari Johnson, Sarasota County School District s Teacher of the Year, is one of five statewide finalists for the Florida Teacher of the Year.
Johnson, a kindergarten teacher at Fruitville Elementary, has spent her 15-year career in Sarasota schools.
Johnson was first nominated for the district s award in November 2020. She was named the district s teacher of the year in January, which made her eligible for the state honor, finalists for which were named on Thursday.
Now she is one of five still in the running for the Florida 2022 Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced July 22 in Orlando. The winner will serve as the Florida Teacher of the Year until July 2022.
In January, Johnson told the Herald-Tribune that she loves kindergarten students because everything is new for them.
“They are so honest, so nonjudgmental, they love school,” Johnson said. “It’s such a happy place.”
Johnson creates weekly YouTube videos for her students families, offering tips on how they can reinforce the lessons she is teaching at school and giving them a glimpse of their child’s life in the classroom.
Fruitville Elementary Principal Steven French said Johnson is a master at dividing her class into small groups so she can work one-on-one with a child while the other students work with each other. It’s not easy, and he’ll have new teachers watch her in action to pick up tips.
Caring in the classroom starts with teachers
Rebecca van der Bogert
The classroom is where the spark for learning happens for students, and it takes incredible teachers to light that spark.
For all of my professional life, whether as a school superintendent, university faculty member, or head of school, I have found that the key to an excellent school is identifying talented classroom teachers and making sure they were provided with the necessary resources to grow in their profession.
Taking care of teachers who take care of students became a mission and passion. That’s why, after retiring to this area, I found common cause with the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, with its strong commitment to supporting excellence in teaching and learning.