AHPERD names NNPS' Williams-Roots Adapted Physical Educator Teacher of the Year
Published October 5, 2026
Andrea Williams-Roots, adapted physical education teacher for Newport News Public Schools middle and high schools, was named 2026 Adapted Physical Educator Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance.
She will be recognized at the Virginia AHPERD Convention to be held October 24-25 in Lynchburg.
Williams-Roots became a physical education teacher in 1992, shifting over to adapted physical education in 2015 and she has been teaching it for 11 years. Adapted physical education is instruction that is specially designed to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.
"I have loved every minute of my teaching experiences with students who have been diagnosed with developmental and/or learning difficulties," she said. "I'm an educator, but I like to call myself an edu-carer as I focus on building positive relationships in order to create buy-in, helping develop physically literate students and preparing them to be lifelong physically active participants.
"I believe I'm making the world a better place one student at a time. My passion is creating a safe learning environment for my students to be successful in physical education and to understand why being physically active is so important for lifelong health and success."
AHPERD is a professional association of educators that advocate quality programs in health, physical education, recreation, dance and sport, according to its website. The association seeks to facilitate the professional growth and development of its members through meaningful membership services, current research, best educational practices and legislation that will impact the profession.
