Last year, our founder, Laurie Best, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. What followed were appointments, treatments, long days, longer nights, radiation, side effects, and a level of physical and emotional endurance that can’t fully be explained unless you’ve walked it.

There are moments when recognition feels bigger than an award—when it reflects years of quiet dedication, unseen labor, and a deep commitment to students that changes lives. This is one of those moments. We are incredibly proud to celebrate Denise White, Executive Director of IAA, who has been named Pinellas County Schools 2026 Teacher of the Year. On the evening of our recent board meeting, Denise was unable to be with us because she was attending the Teacher of the Year eve

The sound of pens clicking on paper, deep inhales and exhales, the smell of fresh paper - usually, none of these things would be of much concern to me, but when it comes to the end of the year, these very sounds gave me severe stress.

We’ve seen it firsthand in classrooms, on Zoom calls, and inside quiet, tear-streaked journal pages...