A Sunrise Elementary teacher who has built a classroom rooted in comfort and connection is now being recognized on a national stage. Courtney Phipps has advanced to the quarterfinals of the America’s Favorite Teacher award. The America’s Favorite Teacher award is a nationwide competition using public voting to recognize educators who go beyond the classroom. After advancing through several rounds, Phipps has reached the quarterfinal stage, placing her among educators competing for a $25,000 prize, a trip to Hawaii and a feature in Reader’s Digest. Should she advance to the next round, voting will continue, with readers able to access voting and additional information through a QR code included in this week’s Richmond News. Phipps explained her path into education was influenced by several family members who were teachers, including her nanny, whom she lived with during high school and who also served as her teacher, cheer coach and dance coach. “She had a lot of encouraging words…