MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Vivian Ventura, an orchestra teacher at Southwood Middle School, has been named the 2026 Francisco R. Walker Miami-Dade County Teacher of the Year.
Ventura, a 20-year veteran teacher with the district, was recognized during a ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport & Convention Center on Tuesday night.
Her motto is “never stop learning.” Ventura said her greatest joy is watching students with no musical knowledge blossom into budding skilled musicians and serve their community through 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.”
Postsecondary Career and Technical Education – Leroy Douglas, Robert Morgan Educational Center & Technical College was a runner up for teacher of the year.
The 2025 Rookie Teacher of the Year is Nikolas Venegas, a first-grade teacher at Avocado Elementary School.
The district said 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.
The Rookie Teacher of the Year runner-up is Karen Lisley Leiva, a third-grade teacher at North Beach Elementary School.
Kendall Toyota will gift the winner a new car.