For the first time ever, the school’s Teacher of the Year and Employee of the Year have both advanced to the Brevard Public School’s finalist round.  Middle-school math teacher Jill Whitacre and School Resource Officer Charles Landmesser both qualified as one of the top six in the district in their respective categories.

“I’m shocked and humbled to make it to this level because I hold all the other teachers at very high regard,” Whitacre said.

After teaching for 13 years with a hands-on teaching style in her math classroom she managed to keep students busy learning and circulating all their ideas leading to her finalist position.

“All her hard work as a good teacher is paying off, and she is fully deserving of this award,” said former student Bailey Coolican, a junior.

Landmesser was just as surprised when receiving the news that he had made it to the level of being a finalist.

“When they had us put in for the finalist, I figured that there was a lot of great competition and I thought being the employee of the year for this school was good enough,” Landmesser said.

The two will continue to be evaluated in further depth as they compete to become the county’s teacher and teacher of the year.