How to vote for a Henrico educator as 'America’s Favorite Teacher' by April 16

Monica Bagby, the subject of a 2025 Henrico Citizen article, is competing to become "America’s Favorite Teacher."

The winning teacher’s school will enjoy an assembly hosted by famed science educator Bill Nye. The winning teacher wins $25,000 and a Hawaiian vacation, in addition to an appearance in an America’s Favorite Teacher ad in Reader’s Digest magazine.  

Bagby, an exceptional education teacher at the Academy at Virginia Randolph in Glen Allen, is in eighth place nationally as the voting moves into its final week; voting for the Top 5 ends April 16 at 7 p.m. EDT. Voting is free, with additional votes available for donations benefiting The Planetary Society, a nonprofit that advances space science and exploration.  

If Bagby wins the top prize, she said she plans to use it to turn her classroom into a state-of-the-art space with "learning for visual, auditory, kinestic, and demonstrative learners with stations, a self care center for students, clothes closet, a mini library, books, headsets, lounge area for reading, snacking, etc."

For details about how to vote, visit americasfavteacher.org/2026/monica-bagby-2.