NEARLY 6,000 LOUISIANA TEACHER LEADERS GATHER FOR ANNUAL SUMMIT

Jun 06, 2017
State Superintendent to Address Future of Louisiana Education in Thursday Speech
NEW ORLEANS, La.--The Louisiana Department of Education today convened nearly 6,000 Louisiana Teacher Leaders for the5th Annual Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit, held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The educators, who represent every district in the state, will spend the remainder of the week attending and delivering professional development trainings, collaborating with their peers, and learning how they can play an active role in shaping the future of education in Louisiana.This year's event places emphasis on the state's key initiatives in teacher preparation, curriculum, assessment, and early childhood and career and technical education.

"Teachers are the leaders of change," said State Superintendent John White. "The Teacher Leader Summit celebrates that concept by bringing together educators--from all corners of the state and from different backgrounds, schools and communities--with state and national education leaders to learn, share and work together to ensure all Louisiana students can find success in their educational journeys."
 
The annual, four-day Teacher Leader Summit is free to participants and will serve as the launch of preparations for the 2017-2018 school year and beyond. This year, more than 200 sessions--on topics ranging from the state's plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act to updates concerning end-of-course assessments to the roll-out of the new science standards--will be offered, many of which will be led by the Teacher Leaders themselves.
 
Throughout the week, participants will be introduced to professional development tailored to their role and provided high-quality resources that can be adopted and scaled in schools and districts across Louisiana. They will also have ample opportunity to collaborate and share best practices with their peers, and in turn, foster a culture among educators that is engaging, empowering and inspiring.
 
On Thursday, at 9 a.m. in the Convention Center'sBallroom, Superintendent White will address the state of education in Louisiana and what is in store for the future. He will also recognize the2018 Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists.

The Teacher Leader Summit, now in its fifth year, was created at the urging of teachers who believed classroom educators needed a greater voice in statewide academic decisions. Louisiana's Teacher Leaders held their first statewide summit in April 2013 with 2,000 educators in attendance. Since that time, the number of Teacher Leaders has grown to nearly 6,000, with the Department expanding the opportunities available to Teacher Leaders by offering a blend of year-round in-person and online trainings. These professional development opportunities cover a variety of topics related to English Language Arts, math, social studies, science, early childhood education and special education.
 
Louisiana's Teacher Leaders, nominated by their districts based on leadership ability, provide a positive influence on their school, support for their peers and play a pivotal role in leading the effort during times of transition. Teacher Leaders create and implement collaboration between fellow teachers to reflect on student learning results, access and adjust planning tools to meet student needs, specifically by utilizing theClassroom Support Toolbox, and share instructional best practices to help fellow teachers improve. They also set up clear communication systems at their schools, so their peers are aware of the most up-to-date tools and resources.

To learn more about the Teacher Leader Summit, including the event schedule and session details, and about Teacher Leaders,click here. To engage with the Department on social media during the Summit, use or follow the hashtags #LAteacherleaders and #TLSummit2017. Participants are also encouraged to download the Teacher Leader Summit mobile application.

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