Teachers at three schools in Sarasota County were surprised this Tuesday, when they were revealed as the district’s elementary, middle and high school Teachers of the Year and the 2018 Teacher of the Year finalists. At Venice Elementary, Bethany Burnett was named the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. Burnett has been a teacher for 26 years, 20 of them in Sarasota County. She teaches fifth-grade inclusion, co-teaching with a colleague to help ensure that the individual needs of all students are met. At Booker Middle School, Allison Cohen teaches sixth-grade math and integrates English language arts into the math curriculum, and presents information in a variety of ways to meet the needs of each student. She has taught for 21 years—all of them with Sarasota County Schools. At Riverview High School, reigning district Teacher of the Year B.J. Ivey, who teaches and coaches at Riverview, passed the High School Teacher of the Year baton to English Language Arts teacher Es Swihart. Swihart has taught for 11 years, five of them in Sarasota County. She teaches English Literature and “English 1” to Pre-International Baccalaureate students. Superintendent of Schools Todd Bowden, School Board members, Education Foundation President Jennifer Vigne and others traveled by bus to deliver the news personally. One of the three finalists will be named the district’s overall Teacher of the Year at the Ignite Education event at the Westin Sarasota on Dec. 13.

Sarasota County Schools