Teacher Leader Lagniappe

A discussion with Barry Erwin about his role with Council for a Better Louisiana. Find out about the challenges our education workforce faces as well as how we can work to improve our recruitment, retention, and teacher culture in Louisiana. We will also highlight Tangipahoa Parish on how they are engaging their community and coming together towards a common educational goal.

Ethan Melancon is the Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and leads all legislative strategies for the Louisiana Department of Education. We chat with Ethan about his passion for his job, the legislative process, impactful workforce bills, and all the excitement from the past session. Also featured are new Teacher Hacks focusing on apps that make a massive difference in the classroom!

Louisiana’s First Lady, Donna Edwards, shares a glimpse into life in the Governor’s Mansion and her music classroom. She talks about the importance of prioritizing music, art, and movement education across the state. Em Cooper surprises her by playing the newlywed game to see how often her and Governor Edwards’ answers match.

Avoyelles High School makes Em Cooper smile this week with their pictures of hands-on learning in Agriculture class.

Dr. Burk talks about the literacy crisis across the country and the high-leverage strategies to improve literacy rates.

Ashley Comeaux-Foret from Norco Elementary and St. Rose Elementary made Em smile this week with her students’ self-portraits.

We chat with Louisiana's very first New Teacher of the Year, Jordyn Vicknair. A graduate of Louisiana State University’s GeauxTeach program, she shares her journey through her first year of teaching, her love of teaching math, and the relationships she grew with her students. The graduates of Louisiana’s 2022 Aspiring Principals Fellowship make Em Cooper smile this week.