Spanish Fort Elementary School teacher Elizabeth Von Hofe was honored as Alabama Teacher of the Year in a special ceremony held Tuesday, May 19.

Von Hofe, the daughter of two Limestone County educators, is a second-career educator who has spent the past five years at Spanish Fort Elementary School teaching special education. Since 2021, she has served as the school's special education department chair and is responsible for developing alternate achievement lesson plans, designing multisensory instruction for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and conducting behavioral assessments and intervention plans for students.

For the next year, she will travel across the state speaking with educators and leading workshops and academic groups while representing Alabama at national meetings and events. As the 2026-27 Alabama Teacher of the Year, she will serve as the state's official ambassador for public education and the teaching profession and is also Alabama's nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program.

As part of being honored as Teacher of the Year, Von Hofe was presented a car from Alfa Insurance and the Alabama Farmers Federation that she will use to travel across the state.

"It's a surreal moment," Von Hofe said. "Since being announced as teacher of the year on Wednesday night, it's been a whirlwind of just emotion and I'm just blessed to be chosen to represent our state of great educators, great students and great communities and be able to share the great thing that we're doing across this entire state that educated me."

Before entering education, Von Hofe worked in health care management as a licensed nursing home and hospice administrator. She began her education career as a paraprofessional at Rockwell Elementary School before being hired as a teacher at Spanish Fort Elementary while finishing her teaching certification. She earned National Board Certification in her third year of teaching.

She was honored during a ceremony in the gymnasium at Spanish Fort Elementary School attended by school officials and local leaders, including Spanish Fort Mayor Brad Bass and State Superintendent Eric Mackey.

"Alabama boasts thousands of educators, and it's always a highlight of our year to celebrate the state's top teacher. This year is no exception," Mackey said in a news release following the event. "Elizabeth Von Hofe is everything you want in an educator — driven, resourceful and caring. We're so proud to have her represent Alabama within the state and across the country."

What also makes this win special for Von Hofe is that she is the first teacher from Baldwin County to receive the honor since 1998, saying it is an honor for the county she serves and represents.

"Seven generations being educated in public schools is special to my family and I think Alabama is a gem of education that I'm proud to share with the nation," Von Hofe said.

The Alabama Teacher of the Year program is administered by the Alabama State Department of Education, which received 155 applications for the 2026-27 award.

Von Hofe will serve alongside Alternate State Teacher of the Year Eshwaa Godfrey of Selma High School in Selma. Together, they will speak to civic and professional organizations, conduct workshops for teachers and write articles promoting education.