Kayla Stanford, Santa Rosa County’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, received statewide recognition and an award of $2,000 from the Consortium and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) at the Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year Gala in Orlando on July 17. She was chosen from among 67 county-wide teacher of the year honorees as the Consortium’s annual “Invested in Excellence” recipient for her tremendous impact on the lives of her students, school, and community.
A proud Santa Rosa native, Kayla teaches at Holley-Navarre Intermediate, where she once attended school, building powerful relationships with students, families, and the broader community. She is known for designing engaging and inclusive instruction, as well as securing grants and partnerships to create hands-on learning opportunities, ranging from literacy activities to STEAM Nights. Her students regularly earn some of the highest proficiency gains in the school, and many return as classroom volunteers after moving on to middle school.
Kayla also mentors new teachers, leads cross-grade PLCs, and chairs key schoolwide programs. As a board member of the Santa Rosa Education Foundation, she brings unmatched passion to fundraising, events, and community engagement.
“Kayla exemplifies what it means to be invested in excellence,” said Amity Schuyler, President and CEO of the Consortium. “She is a powerful force for good—committed to elevating students, supporting fellow educators, and strengthening her entire community. Her leadership, passion, and unwavering dedication are exactly what this award was created to recognize.”
The Consortium represents Florida’s school district-wide local education foundations, including Santa Rosa Education Foundation. Established in 1987, the Consortium now represents 60 member foundations with 1,200 business and community leaders serving as volunteer board members. Collectively, they raise more than $100 million annually to innovate learning, power potential, and celebrate success in local public schools.
Photo (L-R): Amity Schuyler, President & CEO, Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, Kayla Stanford, Mariota Theodoris, STEM Sports Coach/STEM Project Manager, Florida Power & Light Company.
