Okaloosa County School District recognizes Fort Walton Beach High School’s Katrina Brownsburger as Teacher of the Year
Fort Walton Beach, Florida – Ms. Katrina Browns burger is named 2025 Teacher of the Year according to the Okaloosa County School District. The announcement happened during a recent school board meeting when Ms. Brownsburger was honored for her extraordinary commitment to education and her great influence on her tenth-grade English language arts students at Fort Walton Beach High School.
Ms. Brownsburger sponsors the Speech and Debate team in addition to her teaching responsibilities. The team has achieved significant success under her direction, winning state and national events. Her dedication to help her students develop both intellectually and personally has established a benchmark of excellence in the learning community.
The event also honored the remarkable efforts of Ms. Shalytha Payne-Blevins, an English teacher at Crestview High School, and Ms. Brittney Stein, an eighth-grade Pre-Algebra teacher at Pryor Middle School. Both teachers show a great dedication to their students and their field of work.
The Okaloosa County Education Association (OCEA) originally planned to reveal this year’s Teacher of the Year at the Annual Teacher of the Year Banquet. Unfortunately, last week’s unanticipated winter storms caused the celebration to be postponed till February 13th. This shift followed the deadline for district candidates to go to the State of Florida’s designated state competition. The district is looking forward celebrating all nominees at the forthcoming event despite these obstacles.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers expressed his gratitude towards the OCEA and all those who played a role in the nomination process, especially under the unusual circumstances. He praised Ms. Brownsburger, stating, “Ms. Brownsburger’s dedication and success inspire all of us, and we are honored to have her represent the incredible educators of Okaloosa County.”
As Teacher of the Year, Ms. Brownsburger will represent Okaloosa County at the state competition this spring in Tallahassee, where she will have the chance to highlight her abilities on a broader stage. The district recognizes her successes and is looking forward to ongoing contributions to the field of education.
