Tammie Fields

Roney's third graders are all in at Idyllwilde Elementary School in Sanford. "You guys have worked really, really hard in this classroom," she tells them.

Wano, who is a virtual teacher for Seminole County Public Schools, teaches middle schoolers across Seminole County elective courses, as well as a high school senior-level U.S. government class.

Randall Moore teaches science at Tavares Middle School. He also encourages students not to make the same mistakes he made saying education gives you choices.

Massengill teaches civics to seventh graders at East Ridge Middle School in Clermont. “The thing that brings me the most joy as a teacher isn’t the lessons, and it isn’t teaching.

She says with support, students can thrive despite any challenges they may face. "They need people to lift them up, so that to me is a big part of why I do what I do," she says.

Deesi teaches third graders all subjects at Sorrento Elementary School in Sorrento.

Now, he says sharing his passion with students as a theater teacher is deeply personal. "It's those moments when I see the light go on in their eyes," he said.

Roth teaches fifth-graders math and science at Wekiva Elementary School in Longwood. It’s a career she adores.

“But I always tell them get some type of education, whether it’s going into the military, whether it’s going to take a trade.

When Governor Ron DeSantis signed the 2026-2027 budget into law, he approved $4 million in compensation for the descendants of the Groveland Four. Governor DeSantis pardoned the men on Jan. 11 of 2019 for crimes he said they did not commit.