On Thursday, April 3, 2025, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School physical education teacher and “La Famiglia” leader Marc Fabiano qualified for the quarterfinals in the 2025 “America’s Favorite Teacher” contest.

After being in second and third place behind other teachers in his group for several days, Fabiano’s chances started looking bleak as the quarterfinal deadline approached. But with the strength of “La Famiglia,” continuous campaigning and perseverance, Fabiano prevailed.

“It was unbelievable to be able to come back, I honestly thought it was over after I was in second and third place for a few days,” Fabiano told The Fanscotian. “It was amazing to see the many people in the SPF community on Facebook and Instagram rallying and voting for me.”

The winner of “America’s Favorite Teacher” contest earns a trip to Hawaii for two, $25,000, an appearance in “Reader’s Digest” and a virtual school assembly from Bill Nye the Science Guy.

For Fabiano, this contest was never about the prizes but about representing the SPF community that has shown him continuous support whether it be in the stands at wrestling matches, helping out with SMAC fundraisers or joining “La Famiglia” on Instagram.

“The opportunity of being America’s favorite teacher was intriguing to me because I want to put SPF on the map and showcase all that our school has to offer,” Fabiano said. “SPF has the best community involvement, the best support for one another, and I see it here. Growing up as a Raider, we had and continue to have tremendous support for one another, and we continue to grow and come together and support one another, and I appreciate that tremendously.”

Be sure to vote for Fabiano and show your support in his journey to become America’s favorite teacher as he looks to advance to the semi-finals (voting ends on April, 17 at 7:00 p.m.).

If you’d like to vote for Fabiano use this link: https://americasfavteacher.org/2025/marc-fabiano