ORLANDO, Fla. — Two Tampa Bay-area teachers are among the top five finalists for 2025 Teacher of the Year. The two were chosen from 74 district teachers of the year.
Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Orlando on Tuesday morning and presented the five finalists with giant checks for $20,000. Clayton Nylund from Hillsborough County and Jaime Suarez from Hernando County were among the teachers selected.
Nylund teaches physics and engineering at Howard W. Blake High School in Tampa. He is an alumnus of the University of Montana where he earned his bachelor's degree, the University of Phoenix where he earned his master's and the University of Florida where he completed his doctorate.
Nylund's doctoral dissertation focused on math achievement and funding within schools in Haiti. He is the co-founder of a nonprofit that focuses on funding for schools there and has led numerous medical and relief trips to the country, according to a news release from the Department of Education.
"The kids love him, how he cares about them and just takes a vetted interest in all of his students outside of just their success in the classroom. They know that he cares, so they work really hard for him," Principal Valerie Newton said in a video posted by Hillsborough County Public Schools.
Suarez teaches mathematics to students in grades six through eight at the Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics in Spring Hill. She is an alumna of Troy University and is involved in her school in many ways, according to a news release.
She is a high-impact teacher, which is a title the department gives to educators based on their impact on student learning. The department uses standardized testing results to identify teachers who have had a statistically significant positive impact on their students.
Suarez is also the grade-level team lead and mentor, coordinator of Math Field Day and serves on the district's science textbook selection committee.
The final winner will be announced on Thursday and will be awarded $50,000, DeSantis said at the news conference. The 74 district teachers who were nominated by their colleagues also received $10,000. This year, the award money was increased from $15,000 to $20,000 for the finalists, DeSantis said.
