The Arkansas Teacher of the Year competition is part of the National Teacher of the Year Program (NTOY). The NTOY program began in 1952 and continues as the oldest, most prestigious national honors program that focuses public attention on excellence in teaching. 
 
State law provides for the Arkansas Teacher of the Year recipient to take a year of paid administrative leave to serve in an advisory position as a non-voting member of the Arkansas State Board of Education and for professional development purposes. She will also receive $15,000 from the Walton Family Foundation, a Bentonville philanthropic organization founded by retail businessmen Sam and Helen Walton that funds educational efforts.

Weimer, 30, has taught at Avondale Elementary School for six years. She earned both her Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education and her Master of Science degree in educational leadership from Arkansas State University.

“We hired her fresh out of college,” said Avondale Elementary School Principal Glenda Bryan. “I could see the fire in her eyes then. She had passion for this job spilling out. I knew I wanted her on my staff. She is the teacher I’d want for my child. She goes beyond what most teachers do to ensure authentic student engagement in learning."

Weimer has created a reputation for making learning fun by using technology to teach and engage students. She expects her students to perform well, and they do not disappoint her

On Monday, the 750 children at Avondale Elementary School filed into the cafeteria under the guise of an assembly to honor the school district as a leader in technology. Weimer and other teachers herded the children into lines and coached them to sit quietly on the floor to wait for the event to begin.

When the children sang songs about their school—including one where children changed the school’s initials “AES: to The Jackson Five’s tune “ABC”—Weimer joined in, clapping her hands and urging the children to join her.

Arkansas Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell carried the ruse further by telling children they were “learning 21st century skills that will carry you all the way to high school.” Then, he announced Weimer was the winner of the Teach of the Year award.

“I care about them,” Weimer said of her students when called to the front to the assembly to receive her award. “First and foremost, I love them all.”

Weimer’s husband, Stefano Weimer, attended the assembly, telling his wife he’d be there as part of the schools’ Watchdog Dads program in which men help with functions. “I’m so excited for her,” he said of his wife. “This is something she worked hours for. There were a lot of late nights in the classroom.”

 “I knew I was born to be a teacher,” she said. “I was called to it. Every day I wake up loving it. I love it when they are working so hard on something and then they finally get it. It’s all worth it.”