Mountain Brook Schools announced its 2025–26 Teachers of the Year in December, and now two of the six teachers will go on to represent the district in the state competition.
Photo courtesy of Brittany Henegar
Brittany Henegar is a math teacher at Mountain Brook Junior High.
Brittany Henegar, a math teacher at Mountain Brook Junior High, and Barbara Parker, a fifth-grade teacher at Cherokee Bend Elementary, are the two teachers representing Mountain Brook. Each teacher was nominated for the annual award through submissions from students, faculty members, and parents from each school and school community.
Henegar has been teaching for 13 years, 12 of them at Mountain Brook Junior High. She has taught seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade math. She holds an education specialist (Ed.S.) degree and is National Board and STEM certified. She also serves as co-sponsor of Spartan Leaders.
Henegar was nominated for the award by students.
“Mrs. Henegar has been my math teacher for the past two years, and she is an overall great teacher,” said one student. “Even when I wasn’t doing well in her class, she helped me tremendously and always pushed me to do better. Mrs. Henegar is liked by every one of her students because of her ability to teach in a fun way. Even students who don’t have her will go to her to ask for help when they are confused. She is very aware and makes sure everyone succeeds in her class.”
Henegar chose her profession early in college, with her love of math being what initially led her into the field. As she continues in her career, her love of math isn’t what keeps her coming back year after year. It’s the relationships she builds with students that she truly enjoys.
“Knowing that my job is more important and couldn’t necessarily be replaced by a robot. Yes, you can learn online, and yes, a robot could probably teach you how to factor, but it’s the other piece of that that keeps me in it,” Henegar said. “My favorite part is probably when students just truly stop by to tell me about their day, or whatever it is.”
Photo courtesy of Mountain Brook City Schools
Barbara Parker, a 5th grade teacher at Cherokee Bend Elementary.
Parker also teaches math. She began as a substitute teacher and has now been teaching for nearly 20 years. She was nominated by colleagues and students.
“It’s very heartwarming, for sure,” Parker said. “I think teachers often go unnoticed. We’re in a different industry. We don’t produce revenue, and we are a high-expense item, but we produce no revenue at all from a business standpoint. Our outcomes are things that we can’t always see. We can’t see what a kid’s going to be like 10 years from now when they do get into the workforce and when they can produce revenue, and so we don’t always see the fruits of our labor. Just to be recognized for something that people think that you’ve done well is important. I think a lot of teachers don’t get credit for all the great things they do.”
Selections for district Teachers of the Year and the Alabama Teacher of the Year will be made in April.
