Education board names Pinellas County educator as 2022 Florida Teacher of the Year
July 26, 2021 - Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran has named Eisenhower Elementary School teacher Sarah Ann Painter as the 2022 Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year. Painter, who teaches fifth grade at the Clearwater school, was selected from among nearly 185,000 Florida public school teachers. As the 2022 Florida Teacher of the Year, Painter will serve for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education, working to create greater public awareness of Florida’s outstanding teachers and elevating the education profession. She will also receive $20,000 from the Florida Department of Education and a two-year Florida college scholarship, from the Florida Prepaid College Board, to present to a student of her choice. Painter was recognized for her collaboration with fifth-grade teachers throughout the district and the creation of an open-door policy for colleagues to observe her instructional practices.