The Winchester Education Foundation proudly announced the recipients of our 2025-2026 school year’s Navy Federal Credit Union and Mindy J. Loy “Come Back to Teach” educator grants at the 2025 Convocation Ceremony. The goals of the Navy Federal Credit Union Winchester Public Schools Educator Grants are to assist Winchester Public School professional staff who serve as educators, administrators, and other certificated professionals in the Winchester Public Schools, to promote recruitment and retention by WPS of outstanding education professionals, and, to the extent possible, to promote a racially and ethnically diverse professional faculty by encouraging employment of persons of underrepresented populations. Two grants of $1,500 each were awarded to Laura Filppu, Music Teacher and Band Director at Daniel Morgan Middle and Intermediate Schools, and Yelena Bravo Edwards, Kindergarten Teacher at Quarles Elementary School.

Our WEF Mindy J. Loy “Come Back to Teach“ Education Grants are funded by a testamentary trust of the late Mindy J. Loy, John Handley Class of 1974. These grants were created to assist Handley High School graduates who serve as educators, administrators, and certificated professionals in the Winchester Public Schools with monetary awards that help defray the costs of past or continuing education. The goals of the Loy “Come Back to Teach” Education Grants are to assist Handley High School graduates who have decided to “come back” to serve as educators, administrators, and other certificated professionals in the Winchester Public Schools, to promote recruitment and retention by WPS of outstanding education professionals, and, to the extent possible, to promote a racially and ethnically diverse professional faculty by encouraging employment of persons of underrepresented populations.

This year, we awarded a total of six Mindy Loy “Come to Teach” grants. Five grants, each in the amount of $5,000, are being awarded to these newly hired members of our WPS team: Wendy Houser, Assistant Principal, John Kerr Elementary School; Tiffany Markosky, Nurse Aide, John Handley High School; Sarah Palmer, Special Education Teacher, Daniel Morgan Intermediate School; Sabrina Ramey, Math Teacher, John Handley High School; and Jeremiah Wilson, English Teacher, Daniel Morgan Middle School.

Additionally, we awarded a $2,500 grant to Sarah Walrath, a current member of the WPS teaching staff, who serves as Math Teacher at John Kerr Elementary School.

The mission of the Winchester Education Foundation is to provide support to the teachers and staff of Winchester Public Schools. Retaining talented teachers and staff is one of many challenges facing our administration today, and we hope this grant program can continue to play a meaningful role in their retention efforts.

As the only nonprofit dedicated to supporting Winchester Public Schools, WEF remains committed to fostering excellence in education through private philanthropy. Please support our mission and Donate Today.