- January 29, 2025
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Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year Brandy Anderson and Employee of the Year Brande Martz with School Board members Janie Ruddy, Lauren Ramirez, Will Furry, Christy Chong and Derek Barrs. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year Brandy Anderson and Employee of the Year Brande Martz with Superintendent LaShakia Moore and School Board members Janie Ruddy, Lauren Ramirez, Will Furry, Christy Chong and Derek Barrs. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year Brandy Anderson and Employee of the Year Brande Martz. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Indian Trails Middle School teacher Brandy Anderson was named Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents the Principal of the Year plaque to Matanzas High Principal Kristin Bozeman with Matanzas Student School Board member Jeh-Hanni Strong who introduced her principal. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Principal of the Year Kristin Bozeman. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Assistant Principal of the Year Mandy Kraverotis with FPC Student Government President Kayleigh Phillips who introduced her. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Students hold up signs outside of the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center before the start of the Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year gala. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents the Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year plaque to Brandy Anderson. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Indian Trails Middle School civics teacher Brandy Anderson had taught in several states and districts before finding a home in Flagler County.
“My husband was in the military, so I taught in Ohio, North Carolina, New York,” she said.
Anderson was named Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year on Monday, Jan. 28, at the district’s Teacher and Employee of the Year gala at the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center.
Anderson has been a teacher for 16 years. She is the social studies and civics department lead at Indian Trails, where she has been teaching for 10 years.
“She is one of the hardest working teachers we have on our campus,” Indian Trails Principal Ryan Andrews said. “She's always the first to step in if you need anything. She is just always smiling. She's always happy. She helps out students anytime they need anything. It's just a such an exciting opportunity for her to represent Flagler County and Indian Trails and move on to the next stage in this competition.”
Anderson said she has wanted to be a teacher since she was in the first grade. Winning Teacher of the Year honors for the county is “an amazing honor,” she said.
This is a dream come true and I can't wait to represent Flagler County at the next level.
— BRANDY ANDERSON
“This is a dream come true and I can't wait to represent Flagler County at the next level,” Anderson said.
Brande Martz, Wadsworth Elementary School’s in-school suspension monitor, was named Flagler Schools Employee of the Year. She has been working at the school for a year and a half after volunteering for many years, Wadsworth Principal Amy Neuenfeldt said.
“She was nominated multiple times by her peers,” Neuenfeldt said. “She is amazing. She works with some of our most difficult children with a smile on her face every day. And while directing traffic, she's got a cone on her head, she's got a unicorn costume on. She definitely brings good character morale and inspires all of our students each and every day.”
Martz said she is grateful to her boss, Neuenfeldt, for giving her the opportunity.
“I love my job and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she said. “I do it for the kids, and (the administrators) just welcomed me. So I'm grateful for it. And I'm surprised and I was shocked that they think so highly of me. It's amazing, I'm speechless.”
Both Anderson and Martz will represent Flagler Schools in the Florida Department of Education state competition.
The theme of this year’s gala was “Mission: Flagler Forward, The Stars of Flagler Schools.” Last year’s Teacher of the Year Allison Kucharski of Rymfire Elementary School, and Employee of the Year Jimmy Sorrentio of Buddy Taylor Middle School, spoke at the gala. The district also honored Principal of the Year Kristin Bozeman and Assistant Principal of the Year Mandy Kraverotis, whose selections were announced in December.
Bozeman is in her third year as principal at Matanzas High School while Kraverotis is in her third year as an assistant principal at Flagler Palm Coast High School after working at Matanzas for 16 years.
Speaking at the gala, Bozeman thanked Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore, faculty, staff, students and parents at Matanzas, her fellow principals and her parents, grandparents and sisters. She also thanked former Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt, who chose her for her “dream job of high school principal.” And she thanked her husband, Ryan, and her daughter, Lucy, for their support and understanding.
“The job of the high school principal involves many long hours, many evening events and it is 24-7, 365. I truly could not do this job without Ryan picking up the slack at home and always being understanding of phone calls and texts on evenings and weekends that interrupt our lives.
“Representing an outstanding group of leaders working to move Flagler forward,” she said, “I could not be prouder to be the captain of the Ship.”
Kraverotis thanked the FPC community for welcoming her into the Bulldog family.
I have been a member of the Flagler family since 2006, immediately after graduating from college, and to those in the general public, Flagler Family is just a hashtag. To me it's a reality. … While I hold tremendous pride in my Bulldog family. I also recognize the relationships and collaboration we build across our district are what truly makes Flagler County exceptional. What I've learned is that we are all truly one Flagler family and that when we are leaning on each other, we are stronger.”
