Shenandoah County Agriculture Educator Is 2015 Virginia Teacher of the Year

Jaclyn M. Roller Ryan, an agricultural education teacher at Signal Knob Middle School in Shenandoah County was named 2015 Virginia Teacher of the Year Friday evening in Richmond. Ryan was selected from eight Virginia Regional Teachers of the Year announced in September. She will be the commonwealth’s nominee in the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year Program.

Ryan, the Region 4 teacher, was selected after being interviewed by a committee that included representatives of professional and educational associations, the business community and 2014 Virginia Teacher of the Year and 2014 National Teacher of the Year finalist Melissa A. Porfirio of Fairfax.

The 2015 National Teacher of the Year will be announced next spring at a White House ceremony. Two previous Virginia teachers – B. Philip Bigler, the 1998 Virginia Teacher of the Year, and Mary V. Bicouvaris, the 1989 Virginia Teacher of the Year – went on to be named as a National Teacher of the Year.

As the 2015 Virginia Teacher of the Year, Roller received a $5,000 award and a commemorative ring from the Apple Federal Credit Union Education Foundation; a $2,500 award from Richmond law firm Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen; a classroom technology package from Smart Technologies ULC; a travel package from EF Education First; educational opportunities from several public and private colleges and universities; flowers from Coleman Brothers Flowers Inc.; an engraved plaque from Bunkie Trinite Trophies Inc.; a gift basket from C.F. Sauer Company; a gift from Blue Bell Creameries; and an engraved crystal apple.