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Buncombe County Schools announce 2026 district Teachers of the Year
Summary
Buncombe County Schools officials made surprise presentations at multiple schools to name district Teachers of the Year for 2026, recognizing teachers from the Reynolds, Owen, Robertson, North Buncombe, Erwin and at-large/community-high districts.
Superintendent Rob Jackson and other Buncombe County Schools officials made a series of surprise presentations at school assemblies to announce district Teachers of the Year for 2026, naming winners from Reynolds, Owen, Robertson, North Buncombe, Erwin and the at‑large/community high districts.
The appointments follow a two-step selection process described by Jackson: teachers at each of the district's 45 schools pick a school-level Teacher of the Year, and district winners are chosen from those school nominees. "In each 1 of our 45 schools, the teachers get together and they decide who's gonna be their teacher of the year. And then in each of our high school districts, we get together and determine who's gonna be our district teacher of the year," Jackson said.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jamie Johnson, joined by representatives from the Buncombe County Schools Foundation and local school principals, introduced several district winners. "We are very proud to recognize your very own Mister Darryl Fox as the North Buncombe District Teacher of the Year," Johnson said, adding that Fox brings industry experience into the classroom and focuses on preparing students for both postsecondary education and the workforce.
Students and colleagues who spoke during the presentations described the honorees as deeply committed to students. One student said of a Reynolds District winner that the teacher's "ability to connect with students is just the best of the best," and another student described a classroom as "a very welcoming environment." Those comments were made during on-site surprise announcements and pep-style assemblies recorded in the meeting transcript.
Other district winners announced during the event included Mr. Nestor as the Owen District Teacher of the Year, Ms. Womack as the Reynolds District honoree, Ms. Tori King for the Erwin District, and Mr. Wiegman as the at‑large/community high district winner. Current Buncombe County Schools Teacher of the Year Martha Towne, who spoke at the event, said she is "excited to announce the next 2026 Teacher of the Year," underscoring that the county-level selection follows district recognitions.
School officials and students emphasized classroom practices and student relationships in explaining selections: officials noted nominees' focus on student leadership, hands-on learning and community connections; students highlighted teachers' availability, encouragement and relevance of classroom activities.
The announcements were presented as recognitions; the transcript does not record any formal board votes or policy actions tied to the awards. Buncombe County Schools and the Buncombe County Schools Foundation were listed as organizers and participants in the presentations.
A full county-level Teacher of the Year selection process and the name of the 2026 countywide winner were not recorded in this transcript. Several winners were introduced without first names in the record; the transcript also includes inconsistent spellings for at least one at-large winner (appearing as both "Weekman" and "Wiegman" in different lines). The school system provided the selection process description and the list of district winners during the assemblies.
