When they were introduced to an Osceola Heritage Park events center crowd of hundreds — their peers in education — Friday, the nominees for the Osceola County School District Education Awards called their students, schools and their co-workers things like “my second home”, “a family” and “the community we serve”.
And while the district honored its annual Teacher of the Year, School-Related Employee of the Year, and Principal and Vice Principal of the Year, those individuals who were awarded them all considered themselves one piece of a community that supports a larger community’s children.
For instance, 2027 Teacher of the Year Kyndall Brown, Harmony Middle School’s agricultural teacher, is a Harmony High alum and lifelong Osceola County resident aside from her college days at Mississippi State and LSU. The former Little Miss Silver Spurs spent nearly every day of the Osceola County Fair and Livestock Show of her formative years showing hogs with the local 4-H and Future Farmers of America chapters, so Friday’s ceremony was a true full-circle moment.
“Long before I became a teacher, this place was teaching me,” she said. “No matter where I went, I realized Osceola County is home. This award is bigger than me; it represents generations of families who built agriculture here, and students like I once was who will carry it forward.”
Brown said that at no point in her career did she envision named to this high honor — her focus has been on being the best teacher for her students.
“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.”
She said she loves teaching middle school because it’s there “where the magic happens.”
“It’s where students discover who they are through real experiences, and learn confidence, leadership and purpose,” she said.
Brown will now represent Osceola County at the state level in the Florida Department of Education’s 2027 Teacher of the Year judging.
St. Cloud Elementary School paraprofessional Jessica Mintz said she was overwhelmed just being named her school’s School-Related Employee of the Year. And then … the accolades just kept on coming on the way to earning the District’s honor on Friday.
“Then I was a finalist, and I was totally blown away. This, I really can’t believe,” she said. “I work with such a wonderful administration and so many great people at my school.”
She said she began volunteering at her children’s schools when her youngest was in kindergarten, and now she’s in her eighth year working in the district, taking on a leadership role in St. Cloud Elementary’s Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) program.
“My family puts up with me when I’m working on a ton of stuff,” Mintz said. “But I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
The Principal of the Year award went to Poinciana High School’s Jeffrey Schwartz. He is seen as transformational leader in his fourth year at the school, with the noteworthy milestone of elevating the school’s state-guideline grade from a “C” to its first-ever “A” grade.
He noted he accepted the award on behalf of the entire PHS community.
“I’m truly blessed to have the best staff that truly cares about our students and their learning,” Schwartz said. “Our students are amazing, and it’s about time that the Poinciana area is recognized for what our kids are capable of — greatness.”
Frankie Franceschi, in his first year at Denn John Middle School, was recognized as the Assistant Principal of the Year.
“His initiatives, such as the Grade Recovery Program, PLT Vision Board templates, and the Dragon NEST Tool for monitoring student progress, have strengthened collaboration among teachers and provided precise data to drive student achievement,” the School District said in a release. “He also developed an Acceleration Tracker to measure and celebrate growth across all core content areas, demonstrating his commitment to closing achievement gaps and fostering continuous improvement.”
Osceola School District Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff, addressing the gathering of each county school’s top teacher and school-related employee, said that a common trait he saw among them was that their work is, “Personal, rather than professional.”
“I wish, when I taught, I was 10 percent of what these teachers are. What each brings to the classroom every single day, day after day, is something you can’t learn in a college prep program,” he said. “You either have it in you, or you don’t. They are outliers. They are heroes to our kids every single day. They reflect and represent every one of you in this room.
“Day in and day out, they pour their hearts into this work. I’m proud of the teachers we’ve featured. We should be proud of our teaching staff across the district.”