Osceola teacher named finalist for Florida's Teacher of the Year award

An agriculture teacher at Harmony Middle School in Osceola County was named one of five finalists for Florida’s Teacher of the Year award, the Florida Department of Education announced Monday.

Kyndall Brown, 28, was selected earlier this year as the School District of Osceola County’s teacher of the year, putting her in the running for the statewide award. Brown has taught in Osceola for four years and is a graduate of the district's schools.

The state will select the winner from among Brown and four other finalists in July, and that teacher will serve one year as a state ambassador for teachers. Three other finalists had been announced as of Tuesday, one from Lee County, one from Nassau County and one from Walton County.

Osceola Superintendent Mark Shanoff said in a statement that Brown “exemplifies the highest standards of teaching excellence, innovation and community engagement.”

"Her dedication to agricultural education has transformed learning experiences for students and strengthened the vital connections between our schools and the local community,” Shanoff said. “Her commitment to inspiring future leaders and preserving the agricultural heritage of Osceola County makes her an outstanding representative of our district and the teaching profession."

At Harmony Middle, Brown designed a “rigorous, standards-based agri-science curriculum,” cultivated relationships with local farms for students to gain real-world experience, and launched a fishing club, according to the announcement.

Before working as a teacher, she worked as a meat inspector in Louisiana and as a sales representative selling equine and cattle feed. But Brown craved something more.

"I didn't find purpose in what I was doing every single day," Brown said in a Feb. 3 interview with the Orlando Sentinel. "I felt like I was just running through the motions."

Teaching, however, allowed her to build connections with students and introduce them to one of her childhood passions: animals.

Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in business from Louisiana State University Shreveport.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 6:17 AM.