Manatee schools kickoff 'Champions of Education' honoring staff for their dedication during pandemic Manatee County schools honors educators for all they have done amid pandemic and last updated 2021-03-01 17:41:38-05 BRADENTON, Fla. â Itâs been one year since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our education system. Now the Manatee County district is having a "Champions of Education" event to honor staff for all theyâve done to keep students learning. During the next 12 days, every school in the district will have a special celebration with prizes to honor all 6,000 employees. The purpose is to say thank you for all of the challenges teachers and staff have overcome to keep kids learning during a global pandemic.