TAMPA -- Three Hillsborough County Public School staffers honored for their work this school year.
The Hillsborough Education Foundation named its Excellence in Education winners Thursday night at the Straz Center.
Nicolette Barone, a fifth grade teacher at Oak Park Elementary, is this year's Teacher of the Year. She's been in the district seven years and also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Tampa.
The Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year award goes to Muhammed Conteh, JROTC instructor at Plant High School. Conteh served 21 years in the US Air Force and grew up on military bases.
Chinovia Shderick, an exceptional student education paraprofessional at Memorial Middle School, is the Instructional Support Employee of the Year.
These three were selected out of more than 24,000 teachers and staffers, of whom 667 were nominated for the three awards by their peers across the district. 12 nominees were selected as finalists.
Photo: Hillsborough Education Foundation/ Canva