Sarasota High science leader named 2026 Teacher of the Year

 Andy Harshman, leader of Sarasota High’s MaST Research Institute for 17 years, was named the Sarasota County Teacher of the Year for 2026 on Thursday night and will represent the county in competition for similar statewide honors.

The MaST Research Institute is a magnet program for advanced scientific and mathematics research.  Within the program, ninth through 12th grade students perform college-level research, led by Harshman, 43.

He will represent district educators throughout the 2026 calendar year and will serve as Sarasota County’s nominee for state Teacher of the Year.

“We are thrilled to recognize Mr. Harshman as the 2026 Sarasota County Teacher of the Year,” said Superintendent Terry Connor. “He has had a tremendous impact on the lives of his students and school community. We are also proud to celebrate all of this year’s nominees for their contributions towards advancing student success and elevating the field of education.”

This year’s award ceremony was held at the Ora, where Harshman was joined by his wife, Krissy Harshman – Sarasota High’s coordinator of Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education – and fellow Sarasota County Teacher of the Year finalists, fifth-grade teacher Becky Hoffman from Pine View School, and art teacher Holly Pisaturo from McIntosh Middle School.

Kelly Lile of Garden Elementary in Venice received the Innovation award, which was presented by Mark Mullin, 2025 Innovation Teacher of the Year

“Each of the finalists recognized tonight are clearly driven by their love of teaching,” said Education Foundation President and CEO Jennifer Vigne. “We are fortunate and grateful to have teachers who care so deeply about their students, and we’re honored to celebrate and support them.”

The Education Foundation presented Harshman with a $6,000 cash award and Hoffman, Pisaturo, and Lile with cash awards of $3,000 each. All 47 Teacher of the Year Award recipients received cash awards of $300.