Spanish Fort Special Ed Teacher Chosen as Alabama Teacher of the Year
By Isabella Gomez
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
May 20, 2026
SPANISH FORT, Ala. A special education teacher at the Spanish Fort elementary school got quite the surprise when she was named Alabama’s 2026–27 Teacher of the Year.
Elizabeth Von Hofe was elated as anyone could imagine, and she was also handed the keys to a brand-new automobile that she will be able to drive for one year, with full insurance coverage.
The announcement Tuesday drew cheers inside the gym at Spanish Fort Elementary, where students, educators and community members gathered to celebrate Elizabeth Von Hofe, a self-contained classroom teacher in Baldwin County.
“There is a purpose for every human on this planet—and that’s my goal,” Von Hofe said after the ceremony.
But Von Holfe did not originally choose education as her career path but rather she went into healthcare management and spent some time as a stay-at-home mother. She later returned to school, earning a master’s degree in education at age 42.
Von Hofe said she is honored to represent educators across Alabama, noting both her family’s deep ties to education in the state and her opportunity to visit schools in other counties as part of her new role.
“I am truly blessed to represent a whole lot of great educators and great communities across the state,” she said. “I look forward to traveling the state and seeing some of the counties that have educated my family. I’ve had seven generations of my family educated in this state.”
School leaders describe Von Hofe’s classroom as a place where students are supported academically and emotionally, saying she creates an environment where children feel seen and encouraged to succeed.
Von Hofe will now compete for National Teacher of the Year and take part in professional development opportunities, including leading workshops for academic groups at the local and national level.
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