Fairfax County Public Schools Teacher Named Virginia Teacher of the Year

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) elementary school teacher Melissa Porfirio was named Virginia’s 2014 Teacher of the Year during a ceremony in Richmond, Va Friday.

Porfirio, 39, is a first-grade teacher at Crestwood Elementary School in Springfield.

“This is a group of dynamic and outstanding teachers,” Porfirio said in a statement, according to the Washington Post. “I was so surprised when my name was called. It is such an honor to represent Virginia’s teachers.”

Last month, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) named Porfirio the Region 4 Teacher of the Year. She was one of eight Virginia teachers recognized as a teacher of the year.

• Read: Crestwood Elementary School Teacher Named Region 4 Teacher of the Year

“Melissa is an exceptional teacher and we are very proud that she has been named the . . . Virginia Teacher of the Year,” said Fairfax County School Superintendent Karen Garza said in a statement to the Post. “Melissa is a gifted educator who instills in her students a love of learning. She is an inspiration to her students and to so many others. . . . She is a wonderful example of the importance and the value of exceptional classroom teachers.”

As the Virginia Teacher of the Year, Porfirio is now a nominee for the national teacher of the year. That award will be announced in Spring 2014 in Washington, DC.