Overview
- The Louisiana Department of Education released new lists naming semifinalists for Teacher and Principal of the Year and finalists for Early Childhood and New Teacher awards across the state.
- Teacher and principal semifinalists come from a wide range of parishes and school types, with examples including teacher Melanie Leigh Machen of Benton High and principals Shelley Strother of Galvez Middle and Alyshia Coulson of Bellaire Elementary.
- Early Childhood finalists span classroom teachers and center leaders drawn from programs like Type III child care, CCAP-certified family child care, Head Start, and Early Head Start, with nominees such as Tangi Ambeau Flowers and director Cheryl Morrison Champagne.
- The New Teacher of the Year field features first‑year educators at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, including Morgan Vanicor, Jared Smith, and Kesha Eymard.
- The department plans to announce Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists in May at the Teacher Leader Summit in New Orleans, with overall honorees for all categories to be named in July at the 20th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Gala.