‘My wildest dreams’: Pembroke Pines educator in line for Broward Teacher of Year
Don’t look too far if Ilona Tinerino-Allen can’t be found.
Chances are the Pembroke Pines teacher is at Pasadena Lakes Elementary School, which she calls her “second home,” wrangling first graders and living out her everyday mission: “to make a difference in the life of a child.”
“That’s why I show up every day and do what I do,” she told the Pembroke Pines News.
Tinerino-Allen — who was announced as a Broward County 2026 Teacher of the Year finalist in November — is proof that heroic acts don’t require spectacle, just consistency.
She often works 11-hour days, clocking in at 7:30 a.m. to teach her first-grade class before switching over to her aftercare supervisor role, where she offers homework help at the elementary school until nearly 7 p.m.
A mentor in PLE’s new teacher program, she meets weekly with beginner educators to dole out advice, give classroom support or be a listening ear to remind newcomers “that they’re not alone.”
When school district resources dry up, she’s known to pen grant applications so that PLE’s student body doesn’t have to go without, most recently winning $3,000 for playground equipment she used to buy hula hoops, basketballs and carts.
That’s why when her boss — PLE principal Janet C. Williams — heard that Tinerino-Allen made it to the final round of Teacher of the Year, the principal said she wasn’t shocked, just “elated.”
“When I heard that (Broward County Public Schools) was calling, I was like, ‘She did it,’” Williams told the Pembroke Pines News.
“She is a team player and does anything for the betterment of the school. She’s a true asset to the school ... the foundation for everything that she does is the students.”
A lifelong passion for teaching
Much like Walt Disney World, says Tinerino-Allen, her first-grade class is “where the magic happens.”
She approaches teaching with a longterm perspective, creating fun and a wonder-filled curriculum that turn her students into “lifelong learners” while shaping them into young leaders who can practice maturity and independence from an early age.
That looks like proactively implementing rules that “set the tone in my classroom,” using hands-on learning such as science experiments to spark curiosity and having one-on-one coversations with students about their progress so that they’re not only “successful, but further ahead of the game.”
“You never know what life throws your way or what curveballs are going to come your way, so I grew up to be very mature and very independent,” she said. “That’s what I expect ... from all my students who have come through my classroom in the past 25 years.”
But Williams say it’s Tinerino-Allen’s love for her students — discovered early on in her career — that makes her excel as a teacher.
“That is a prerequisite that I have, that all of my educators have to love the children,” the principal said. “She fits that. She loves her children. She wants all of them to shine.”
The Pembroke Pines teacher has worked alongside Williams at PLE for about 12 years, nearly half of her 25 years with Broward County Public Schools.
Tinerino-Allen picked a career in education after volunteering at a Pre-K program in high school showed her “that was where my heart was,” and joined nearby Miramar Elementary’s staff, where she completed the first 13 years of her career, shortly after finishing undergraduate school.
She’s also spent several summers teaching reading at literacy and neighborhood schools such as Panther Run Elementary, Embassy Creek Elementary and Gulfstream Elementary.
“This job is always evolving. ... (Tinerino-Allen) embodies that growth mindset,” Williams said.
‘For my school, myself and the community’
Win or lose, Tinerino-Allen says, the recognition that’s come with being a Teacher of the Year finalist has left her feeling like a champion.
During a surprise celebration at Pasadena Lakes’ cafeteria in November — where Broward superintendent Howard Hepburn and school board members broke the news — she remembered being “truly in shock to even get this far.”
“I don’t think there were enough garbage cans for all of the tears that I cried,” she said. “Never in my wildest dreams, in my teaching career, would I have thought that this would be possible.”
Tinerino-Allen’s first attempt at the award was in 2021, when she was nominated by PLE but didn’t move past getting her application packet reviewed.
As the district’s Feb. 6 awards ceremony at the Broward Convention Center nears, she’s closer than ever before to seeing that dream come true.
But above all, Tinerino-Allen is excited to share the spotlight — and, hopefully, a win — with the people who’ve pushed her all the way.
“I’m looking forward to being on stage with some really classy and amazing educators and hoping for the win for my school, myself and the community,” she said.
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 12:58 PM.
