One of Osceola County's own is Florida's newest statewide Teacher of the Year.
Harmony High alum and lifelong Osceola County resident Kyndall Brown, the Harmony Middle School’s agricultural teacher, has been named the 2027 Florida Teacher of the Year by the Florida Department of Education at a ceremony Thursday night.
Brown was selected from among five Teacher of the Year finalists through a rigorous selection process. As Florida's 2027 Teacher of the Year, she will serve for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education, representing Florida's educators and advocating for students across the state.
When she was named Osceola County's Teacher of the Year in January, she said that award was "bigger than me."
"It represents generations of families who built agriculture here, and students like I once was who will carry it forward," she said then. “Long before I taught class as a teacher, I was taught that learning happens best when you’re allowed to get your hands dirty. That’s what I preach in my classroom, and I hope to be teaching agriculture for the rest of my career. I get to do what I love every single day.”
After winning her award, Brown said she was incredibly grateful just to be named the Harmony Middle School's teacher of the year.
"To be recognized by my peers who teach beside me and in my community was meaningful. To then be named the District Teacher of the Year for Osceola County and to represent my peers was very gratifying. My community came together to show their appreciation for what I do for my students, so it was important to me that I share that recognition with all the teachers in Osceola County.
"Not only do I teach in Osceola County, but I am a proud product of Osceola County schools. To give back to the community I grew up in, and now receive this level of recognition from, is truly a full circle moment that I will always cherish."
Brown said the process of being nominated for, and then winning, the state Teacher of the Year title provided a unique opportunity to step out of her comfort zone and share what she learned about teaching and talk with other nominated teachers to gather their unique ideas.
"I can't wait to incorporate them into my own classroom," she said. "That moment when I heard my name was one I will always remember because it means I will spend the next year serving as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education and travel across our great state of Florida to highlight all the incredible work being done by hardworking, dedicated, and talented teachers.
"Teachers are changing lives right before our eyes and I love being a part of that. This year will open doors for me individually and professionally and allow me to refine my own instructional practices and celebrate the greatest profession."
"I could not be more proud of (Kyndall's) accomplishment. My heart is full that the rest of the state gets to see that she is a truly exceptional educator," said District 5 School Board member Paula Bronson at Tuesday's board meeting. "She is a kind teacher who serves her students, community and school and comes from a family who models the same values of hard work, love and support."
Osceola County School District Dr. Mark Shanoff called Brown "the best ambassador for the field of teaching."
"There's nobody who can really really represent Osceola County quite the way she does, representing agriculture, FFA, everything that's an anchor economy in our school district," he said. "It's really a victory for all teachers across Osceola County and so proud she'll be representing Osceola County across the state."
