Harns Marsh Middle Teacher Named 2023 Florida Teacher Leader Award Winner

The School District of Lee County is proud to announce that Harns Marsh Middle School Teacher Steven McGinley is the Florida Department of Education’s 2023 Outstanding Teacher Leader. McGinley was the School District’s 2023 Teacher of the Year and honored at Florida’s Teacher of the Year Gala.

“I believe that every student deserves a great teacher, and every teacher deserves the support and resources to be great,” McGinley said. “My passion is helping increase teacher effectiveness through instructional system design, coaching and mentoring, and an unrelenting belief that every child can be successful with a great teacher! I’m proud to have represented Lee County and Harns Marsh Middle School.”

McGinley is a Peer Collaborative Teacher for civics and science as well as the department chair at Harns Marsh Middle School. He is entering his 9th year as a teacher with the School District. McGinley is also a product of the School District of Lee County, having attended Allen Park Elementary, Fort Myers Middle, and Fort Myers High School.

“With his influence, Harns Marsh Middle School has not only had some of the highest learning gains among all Lee County middle schools, but has also truly prepared our students for a productive high school experience and beyond,” said Harns Marsh Middle School Principal Alex Dworzanski. “This growth speaks to our mantra ‘It doesn’t matter where our students start, but where they finish.’”

The Florida Teacher of the Year Program recognizes excellence in teaching, supports continued learning for all educators and highlights the importance and impact of the profession. Within this program, the Outstanding Teacher Leader Award honors the legacy of exceptional educators and teacher leaders. The award is given to a teacher who believes that every student deserves to have a teacher that is better than the best teacher any of us ever had.