Cherese Fussner works hard to create a fun classroom environment. She engages her students at Winter Park 9th Grade Center with music and a playful approach that has improved aptitude and raised grades. Her efforts added up to a career milestone when she was announced on January 17 as Orange County Public Schools’ 2024-25 Teacher of the Year.
Fussner was among five award recipients at the annual Stellar Awards, recognizing OCPS staff who exemplify standards of student support. Honorees are voted in by their peers with the final selection process beginning in October. Her fellow honorees are:
- 2024-25 Principal of the Year: Myrlene Jackson-Kimble, Washington Shores Elementary/ Tangelo Park Elementary
- 2024-25 Assistant Principal of the Year: Tayler Boyer, Colonial High School/ Ninth-Grade Campus
- 2024-25 Support Person of the Year: Danielle MacKay, Educational Interpreter, Lake Sybelia Elementary
- 2024-25 District Administrator of the Year: Jessie Outing, Assistant Director, Employment Services
“I knew I was a finalist but that’s it,” Fussner told the32789. “There was an interview process and photos, but they don’t tell you anything before the event. I still can’t believe it.”
Born and raised in St. Pete, Fussner moved to the Orlando area to pursue a degree in education from the University of Central Florida. Her 16 years in education began with an internship at Winter Park High School, but her inspiration dates back to her childhood.
Fussner’s father died when she was eight, leaving her mother to raise five children on her own. “We had a lot of challenges,” she said, “and school became really important to me.” Encouragement from her teachers fostered academic success that she strived to help her siblings to also achieve. “As I got older, I started helping them with homework. I felt like that was a calling.”
Fussner’s Winter Park High internship became her first full-time job after graduation, and with it came a wealth of additional support. “They assign new teachers to a mentor, but after the first couple of years you have a community of collogues you can go to for help.”
Teaching would eventually take a back seat to raising her own family. And after eight years as a stay-at-home mom, she took a staff job at Arbor Ridge K-8 School when her youngest child was enrolled. Fussner rejoined Winter Park High in 2021 as the ninth-grade geometry instructor, introducing an engaging classroom approach that has yielded success. Last year, 86% of her students who began the academic year below grade level achieved proficiency in their End of Course (EOC) assessments.
“I try to get every student to have fun and be involved,” she said. Music plays a major role and Fussner scours the internet for math parodies of popular songs. “We’ll listen to a whole song while they’re transitioning between tasks or at the start of the day,” she said. “It’s about building collaboration and a positive environment where they’re not afraid to make mistakes. I also encourage them to be competitive because that competitive streak helps them to be more engaged.”
She plans to work toward a master’s degree and aspires to a future OCPS leadership position, but Fussner’s priorities remain in the classroom and with the students. She feels that experiencing her own childhood difficulties became a catalyst for positive impact and sees her efforts as a way of honoring those who helped her.
“We have to remember that there are some children who come to school to be seen and to be heard,” she said. “Some have very tough lives. My goal is to be there for all of them.”