MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – A Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) teacher is considered one of the best in the state.

On Tuesday, Forest High School’s Jennifer Brown learned she is one of five finalists for Florida’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

MCPS Superintendent Dr. Diane Gullett, along with representatives of Florida’s Department of Education and the School Board of Marion County surprised Brown with the news at school.

Marion County Superintendent, Dr. Diane Gullett (left), and other officials surprised math teacher Jennifer Brown (2nd from left) with the news on Tuesday, May 7. Courtesy: MCPS

Brown teaches math and has been with the school district for almost 10 years.

By being named Marion County’s Teacher of the Year in February, Brown then went on to compete against 74 other teachers from across the state who were selected out of the more than 185,000 teachers in Florida.

The district says Marion County hasn’t had an educator in the finals since 2017. The state will announce the winner at a gala in Orlando on July 25.

It’s been an award-winning year for Marion County. Just two weeks ago, Edward Lanza, a paraprofessional at Saddlewood Elementary, was named Florida’s School-Related Employee of the Year.

Jennifer Brown is a math teacher at Marion County’s Forest High School. Courtesy: MCPS