LOUISIANA TEACHERS AND LEADERS GATHER IN NEW ORLEANS TO CELEBRATE SUCCESS OF HISTORIC YEAR, PLAN FOR FUTURE STUDENT GROWTH

May 25, 2021

State Superintendent opens annual Teacher Leader Summit by sharing stories and lessons learned from Louisiana’s “reliable, responsive and resilient” educators

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education’s flagship event opened today with fun, a few tears and even a little dancing from educators gathering to celebrate the close of an unprecedented school year. The 2021 Teacher Leader Summit takes place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans now through Thursday. The annual professional development conference brings together educators from across Louisiana. Nearly 2,000 teachers and leaders are participating in this year’s event, which is operating with limited capacity due to safety and mitigation efforts. 

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley helped kick off the celebration during an opening session that included live announcements of the Louisiana Teacher and Principal of the Year Finalists and this year’s Louisiana Public Interest Fellowship winners. Dr. Brumley utilized his keynote address to tell the stories of educators from across the state and how they continued to serve children and families during a global pandemic and historically active hurricane season.

“Louisiana educators are reliable, responsive and resilient. They have done hero’s work to ensure our children continue to receive a quality education,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “In a school year that opened with so much uncertainty, it’s difficult to express the feeling of pride I have knowing the successes we’ve achieved together. This week’s Summit is an opportunity to further grow and develop together as we prepare for next school year.”

The Summit serves as the launch of preparations for the 2021-2022 school year and beyond. Over 200 sessions will be offered, many of which will be led by 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 school systems across Louisiana. They will also collaborate and share best practices with their peers, and in turn, foster a culture among educators that is engaging and empowering.

Louisiana teacher and Grammy Music Educator Award winner Mickey Smith Jr. opened this morning’s plenary session with a solo performance and closed the show by leading a second line along with band students from Tom Benson School in Jefferson Parish Schools. Dr. Brumley co-hosted with last year’s middle school Louisiana Student of the Year Zach Cryer. Now a student at Benton High in Bossier Parish Schools, Cryer led a segment where he thanked his teachers and a segment that featured the Department’s new Models of Excellence award.

2020 Louisiana Public Interest Fellowship winners Jessica Borland and Chris Dier announced the 2021 winners, Bridget Berry of STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee in Pointe Coupee Parish Schools and Trinette Wallace of West Thibodaux Middle School in Lafourche Parish Schools. Dier, a former Louisiana Teacher of the Year, announced this year’s Louisiana Teacher and Principal of the Year Finalists.

Those who cannot attend the event can follow along on social media. Attendees are being encouraged to share their experiences using the hashtag #LATeacherLeaders. The Department will also share content on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. 

In addition to this week’s in-person event, the Department is offering a virtual option. Teacher Leader Summit: The Virtual Series will take place June 1-11. Registration for the virtual event will remain open until capacity is reached. Those attending the in-person event will also have access to the virtual series, though a separate registration is required in order to participate. In-person Summit attendees were provided a one-time use code to register for the virtual series. 

Creating a healthy and safe environment for all participants is of utmost importance and concern to the LDOE and NOENMCC. NOENMCC has been rated Global Biohazard Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR Facility. This means NOENMCC has implemented a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention for their staff and their building. 

Following STAR protocol means that a facility has:

  • Established and maintained a cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
  • The proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices in place to combat biohazards and infectious disease.
  • Highly informed cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response.

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