Sarasota County Schools has announced that Shane Swezey, a music teacher at Oak Park School, has been selected as a state Teacher of the Year finalist. Since 2013, Swezey has provided music education and therapy services to students ages 5–22 at Oak Park School, the district’s center school for special needs. He is one of five finalists to compete for the 2020 statewide Teacher of the Year. This year’s finalists were chosen from more than 176,900 public school teachers throughout the state. 

After each school district selects its Teacher of the Year, a selection committee representing teachers, principals, parents and the business community reviews each district application on the basis of outstanding ability to teach and communicate knowledge of the subject taught, professional development, philosophy of teaching, and outstanding school and community service. After interviews are completed, each of the 74 District Teachers of the Year will gather in Orlando in July for the Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year Roundtable and Gala, where the announcement of the 2020 Florida Department Teacher of the Year will be made.

Oak Park School