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Vivian Ventura, an orchestra teacher at Southwood Middle School, has been named the 2026 Francisco R. Walker Miami-Dade County Teacher of the Year at a ceremony held this evening at the DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport & Convention Center.
For Ventura, a 20-year veteran teacher at Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), music is not just what she teaches, but a passion that has transformed generations of students into accomplished musicians. Her motto is “never stop learning.” Ventura’s greatest joy is watching students with no musical knowledge blossom into budding skilled musicians and serve their community through music. She fosters an inviting environment with a focus on technique, structured repetition and motivational music.
Over the past two decades, her students have consistently earned superior ratings in District Music Performance Assessments. Her students at Southwood Middle have gotten more superior medals in District competitions than any other middle school. They have also gone on to study at the prestigious Julliard and perform in theater productions like “Hamilton.”
For the last 10 years, she has influenced a generation of students outside her school as a teacher at the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. Her talent and dedication as an accomplished conductor are well known and appreciated in circles outside her school. Ventura was selected as a guest conductor at the Superintendent’s Elementary Honors Orchestra, the West Palm Beach Honors Middle School Orchestra, and the Jacksonville Honors Elementary Orchestra.
The runner up is Leroy Douglas, an appliance repair teacher at Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College.
The top rookie teachers were also recognized at the event. The 2025 Rookie Teacher of the Year is Nikolas Venegas, a first-grade teacher at Avocado Elementary School.
Venegas sets a course of exploration for his first-grade students. His classroom is a dynamic, immersive space for students to discover the key concepts of math, science and social studies. Each subject has a dedicated station for young minds to collaborate or work independently on real-world projects infused with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) principles.
He employs inquiry-based learning and hands-on activities to spark conversations and wonder in his students. Venegas builds strong connections between the home and the school through regular emails, phone calls and class newsletters.
The Rookie Teacher of the Year runner-up is Karen Lisley Leiva, a third-grade teacher at North Beach Elementary School.
Teachers such as those recognized tonight serve as a reminder to the community why M DCPS is your best choice!
The signature sponsors for the event include the Educational Federal Credit Union (EdFed), United Way Miami, and Kendall Toyota, which will present the Teacher of the Year with keys to a new car. The event is made possible through partnerships with United Teachers of Dade, the Dade Association of School Administrators, Univision and Fox-Mar Photography.
For the most up-to-date information, please download the Dadeschools Mobile App to your iPhone or Android device. Follow us on X, @MDCPS and @suptdotres, on Instagram @MiamiSchools and @suptdotres, and on Facebook at MiamiSchools.
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