Schools
State honors Lakewood Ranch teacher
Early childhood education teacher Sara Lay runs the Lakewood Ranch High School Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program
Jillian McManis —Mustangs Ahead
(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL)—Lakewood Ranch High School Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) teacher for the Mini Mustangs program Sara Lay was awarded an “Excellence” designation from the Florida Division of Early Learning (DEL), one of the highest recognitions available to early childhood educators.
The award was presented Friday following an evaluation of Lay’s classroom, including student assessments and direct observation of her teaching.
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Elizabeth Thompson, Family Engagement Specialist for Early Learning for the Manatee School District, said the honor is both rare and highly competitive.
“This is pretty prestigious,” Thompson said. “As a matter of fact, her scores were nearly perfect, and she had one of the highest scores in the state.”
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The DEL Excellence designation is not just a simple trophy or a one-time award. Instead, it’s a part of a statewide VPK performance accountability system that measures program quality, student achievement, and learning gains.
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Lay’s Mini Mustang students, once they complete the VPK program, move on to kindergarten in surrounding schools such as McNeal, Braden River, Witt, and Willis. While they advance to kindergarten regardless, Thompson emphasized the importance of true readiness.
For Lay, the award represents far more than professional recognition. It reflects the collective work of her entire team.
"It means a great deal to not only me, but to (fellow Early Childhood Education instructors) Mrs. Shackelford, Mrs. Mohr, and the student teachers,” Lay said. “It shows our dedication to our students.”
She added that teaching can sometimes feel invisible in the day-to-day routine of lesson planning, emotional support, and small victories.
“An award says, what you're doing matters, and people see it,” Lay said. “That validation reinforced your sense of purpose.”
When asked about what she loves most about teaching, Lay pointed to the quiet but powerful transformations that happen inside her classroom.
“My favorite things are seeing big growth in the little humans,” she said. “Seeing shy kids find their voice, watching their imagination grow, celebrating tiny wins, and creating lifelong relationships with the students and their families.”
