Tag: Principal of the Year

Annual LDOE Gala Recognizes Outstanding Teachers and Leaders

In a grand celebration of educational excellence, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) joined hands with Dream Teachers to host the 17th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala to honor outstanding teachers and leaders across the state, according to this news release from LDOE.

This prestigious event took place at the iconic World War II Museum in New Orleans, where outstanding teachers and leaders from across the state were recognized for their exceptional contributions to the field of education. The night was marked by the announcement of several significant awards, including the Louisiana Teacher and Principal of the Year, Louisiana Early Childhood Teacher and Leader of the Year, and Louisiana New Teacher of the Year.

The most coveted award, the Louisiana Teacher of the Year, went to Kylie Altier, a first-grade teacher at Buchanan Elementary in East Baton Rouge Parish Schools. Altier’s accomplishments extend beyond the classroom as she secured over $13,000 in grants to enrich the educational experiences of her students and the school community. Her innovative projects, including an agriculture-focused garden, a mobile kitchen for hands-on cooking experiences, and a curriculum incorporating virtual reality headsets, have all contributed to a dynamic and immersive learning environment.

The gala also recognized exceptional educators in various categories, with division-level Teachers of the Year being named in Elementary, Middle, and High School divisions. Sandra Saye-Foucqueteau from Zachary Community School District, Cory Joy Craig from Bossier Parish Schools, and Dennis “DJ” Pevey from Tangipahoa Parish School Systemwere the respective division-level awardees.

State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Cade Brumley, took the stage to applaud the honorees, stating, “tonight we celebrate the remarkable dedication and unwavering commitment of Louisiana’s finest teachers and leaders. Their resilience, passion, and tireless efforts have transformed lives and paved the way for our Louisiana comeback.”

Tia Mechelle Trahan, the principal of Lafayette Middle in the Lafayette Parish School System, was bestowed with the title of Louisiana Principal of the Year. Trahan’s accomplishments as a leader include being a National Board Certified Teacher and previously winning Lafayette Parish School System Teacher of the Year in 2007. She also completed the National Institute for School Leaders program, showcasing her dedication to continuous improvement and professional growth.

In addition to the overall Principal of the Year, the event celebrated division-level Principal of the Year honorees in the Elementary, Middle, and High School categories. Dr. Monya Thomas-Criddle from Jefferson Parish Schools, Barry Carter from DeSoto Parish Schools, and Marvin Evans from Ascension Public Schools received the well-deserved recognition.

The gala also shone a spotlight on early childhood outstanding teachers and educators, acknowledging their vital contributions to a child’s foundational learning years. Phedra Jackson from Lafourche Head Start was named the Louisiana Early Childhood Teacher of the Year for her decade-long commitment to serving children and families in Louisiana. Arielle Hughes, who leads Carousel Preschool in Jefferson Parish, was celebrated as the Louisiana Early Childhood Leader of the Year for her decade of combined experience in leading and teaching in Early Learning centers.

Furthermore, the gala honored Phoenix Morel LeBlanc, a teacher at Albany Middle in the Livingston Parish Public School System, as the Louisiana New Teacher of the Year. This award recognizes excellence during the first year in the classroom, and the program has grown in significance over the past two years.

The Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala not only celebrates individual achievements but also acknowledges the collective efforts of educators across the state. Finalists for the New Teacher of the Year, Early Childhood Teacher and Leader categories, as well as recipients of the Milken Educator Award and Louisiana’s Public Interest Fellowship, were also applauded for their remarkable contributions to education.

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Louisiana Teacher of the Year and Principal

Recently, the Louisiana Department of Education announced the 2021 Louisiana Teacher of the year and Principal of the year in a press release from the Louisiana Department of Education.

Nathalie Roy, of Glasgow Middle School in East Baton Rouge Parish, was named the 2021 State Teacher of the Year while Anita Dione Bradford, of Parkway Elementary School in Vernon Parish, was named the 2021 State Principal of the Year. The announcement was made at the virtual, 14th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Awards Gala, where  all Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists and semi-finalists were also honored.

2021 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year

At Glasgow Middle School in East Baton Rouge Parish, Nathalie Roy teaches a diverse selection of course offerings including, Roman technology, classical mythology, as well as Latin. This international focus in her courses is a result of her educational background as she’s studied classical archaeology at the American Academy in Rome, where she was a Fullbright scholar, and at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece.

Roy is a National Board Certified Teacher, who has used her experience to publish articles with Cambridge University Press and the American Classical League on topics regarding Roman technology. During the pandemic, she has partnered with the American Classical League to offer free, live-streamed, and kinesthetic lessons on Roman Technology.

At school, her classes are expectedly focused on ancient Roman and Greek life, though it’s similarly infused with STEM. This cross-discipline focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is a particularly unique curriculum idea that has afforded Roy many grant opportunities over the years, and her students benefit from it.

With 63% of her students initially testing at the Approaching Basic and Basic achievement levels rising to 89% at Mastery or Advanced, despite not having prior exposure to classical mythology; it’s a testament to Roy’s teaching and a validation of the deservedness of her title.

2021 Louisiana State Principal of the Year

Parkway Elementary School’s principal Alnata Dione Bradford is (like the State Teacher of the Year) the proud daughter of two educators. While her parents, two Lousisana educators with a combined over 65 years of teaching experience, instilled a dedication and importance of love, faith, and education into their family, Bradford took the lessons to heart as she ascended at Parkway from assistant principal to the title she holds today.

Approximately 580 students from Grades 1-4 are taught at Parkway, which is located near an Army installation in Fort Polk, Louisiana, and over 90% of the school is military affiliated. Each month, Parkway tends to gain or lose a half-dozen students due to station reassignments or military deployments, but despite this fluctuating enrollment, Bradford is rightfully perceived as remaining resilient and ensuring a notable learning impact is made for all of the students for however long they attend Parkway, which was recognized as an “A” school in 2017.

Last year, the school was also recognized as a “Louisiana Top Gains” school with its 10.1 growth points earned, earning it the honor of receiving the most growth district-wide with its School Performance Score (SPS) increasing by 9.6 points. Appropriately this success is due to Bradford’s leadership.

A full listing of previous Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year honorees can be found in the following Louisiana DOE library. Louisiana Teachers and Principals of the Year are chosen by state education leaders, administrators and committees in partnership with Dream Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Principals. All collaborate annually to recognize and celebrate some of the state’s most high-achieving and exceptional educators with the Teacher and Principal of the Year programs.

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