Three Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) teachers have been chosen as finalists for the districtwide 2026 Teacher of the Year award. 

According to an ACPS press release, the three finalists are Meadowbrook Elementary School teacher Katie Dawson, High Springs Community School science teacher Barbara Brock and Buchholz High School Advanced Placement (AP) and history teacher Ryan McNickle. 

Dawson, Brock and McNickle, along with 37 other Teacher of the Year nominees from across the district, will be honored at the annual Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year ceremony on Thursday. The event is hosted by the Education Foundation of Alachua County (EFAC), with support from several local individuals, businesses and organizations, including primary sponsors Cox, Florida Credit Union and SWI Photographers. 

Dawson, the elementary school Teacher of the Year finalist, teaches third grade at Meadowbrook. The release states that she has also been active schoolwide, serving in leadership positions in several activities that include Girls on the Run, Safety Patrol and Special Olympics. 

A third-generation teacher, Dawson says teaching is something she dreamed of all her life. 

“I believe school should be a fun and exciting place to learn intellectually, emotionally and socially,” she said in the release. “Every student should be given a fair chance to succeed and learn in a safe and loving environment.”  

Brock, the middle school finalist, has taught at High Springs Community School since 2022. During her tenure, the ACPS release notes that she founded a STEM club to extend students’ learning beyond the classroom and has secured more than $17,000 in grant funding to provide additional hands-on science learning for students. 

In the community, Brock has been involved in organizations ranging from the Gainesville Audubon Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History to the Guardian Ad Litem program. 

Brock said she wants her students to understand the ‘why’ of what they are learning. 

“Education should spark curiosity and give students the courage to take intellectual risks, turning mistakes into stepping stones rather than setbacks,” she said in the release. “Science allows tinkering, experimentation and even spectacular failures – all to build resilience and genuine scientific curiosity.” 

McNickle, the high school finalist, has taught AP and U.S. History at Buchholz since 2018. He also helped start the AP Capstone Program at the school, “which focuses on developing students’ skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing, and presenting,” the release said.  

Outside the classroom, McNickle also coaches the Buchholz boys’ golf team, sponsors several student clubs and serves on a variety of school committees. 

McNickle said he wants students to be excited about learning, to think critically and develop their creativity. 

“I think when students are asked to go beyond just understanding a topic and are asked to create something, evaluate an idea, or defend a position, they learn at a deeper level, and I try to allow for as much of that as I can,” he said in the release. 

Dawson, Brock and McNickle will all speak at Thursday’s Teacher of the Year event, which will also include comments from local education business leaders, as well as current students. The announcement of the 2026 Alachua County Teacher of the Year will take place at the conclusion of the ceremony.  

The Alachua County Teacher of the Year will represent the district in the Florida Teacher of the Year program.