A first grade educator in Fairfax County, Virginia, entered a national competition on a whim. Now, she’s in the quarterfinals.
“This is a very emotional experience for me,” said Marcy Fisher, a first grade teacher at Union Mill Elementary School in Clifton.
When she saw that one of her favorite scientists was promoting a competition for “America’s Favorite Teacher,” she thought she’d give it a try.
“It was being pushed out by ‘Bill Nye The Science Guy,’ which is somebody that I’ve used in the past to teach science concepts in my class. And I thought, ‘Wow, that would be so cool,'” Fisher said. “I was like, well, you know, I have nothing to lose.”
She’s been through multiple rounds of voting so far and has made it to the quarterfinals.
Thousands of teachers across the U.S. applied for the title.
She said the most touching aspect of the competition so far has been hearing from her co-workers and past students and their families.
“That, in and of itself, has been a gift, really,” Fisher said. “It’s really cool to hear all the people coming from my past, supporting and, you know, posting or sharing my story.”
The winner gets $25,000, a trip to Hawaii, a school assembly with Bill Nye and a feature in Reader’s Digest. Voting for the quarterfinals ends Thursday at 7 p.m.
“Even to get this far has just been a really incredible accomplishment for me,” Fisher said.
Those interested in voting can find Fisher’s page and story here. One vote each day is free. Any votes beyond that can be made with donations to the Planetary Society.
In her story, she shares what inspired her to become a teacher. She said it was the last day that she saw her dad.
“He was a significant role model in my life. He commanded his role in the Air Force with such grace and morality,” Fisher wrote on the competition’s website. “He served others in a way that inspired me to want to change lives. The last day I saw my Dad before he died, we had a conversation about how I failed my Praxis exam by a couple of points. He pulled me in close and said, ‘It’s a small bump. You were meant to be a teacher.'”
She has been a teacher for more than 23 years and has three daughters.
Fisher said that if she wins, she would use the $25,000 prize for her family. She would start with saving the money for her three daughters and their education.
“I would definitely put that away for their college savings and then I would take some of that money and absolutely treat my mom who’s been my biggest supporter throughout my educational career and take her on a little vacation just to thank her for her constant support for my teaching journey,” Fisher said. “It makes me a little emotional.”
When it comes to teaching, Fisher said the reason she loves it is because of the relationships and connections she’s made with her students and their families.
She said when they come back to visit her after moving on to other grades, that really makes her day.
“It’s really about connecting with these kids and making sure that they are seen and heard so that you can relate to them and really build that respectful relationship, because it works both ways,” Fisher said. “You want them to respect you and you also need to respect where they’re coming from as well. So it starts there for me, it’s the relationships that I build, and from there, I just feel like the sky is the limit with the kids, like they leave my class ready to go to the next grade.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
