Acadiana Well Represented In Teacher, Principal Of The Year Semifinals

Seven educators from Acadiana remain in the running for Louisiana's Teacher and Principal of the Year awards.

The Louisiana Department of Education announced the semifinalists for the two awards on Tuesday. An Evangeline Parish teacher was one of the semifinalists in the teacher category. Lafayette, Jeff Davis, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion Parish are each represented in the principal category.

The lone local State Teacher of the Year semifinalist is Kayla Joseph, a seventh-grade English language arts and social studies teacher at Chataignier Elementary School.

The finalists for State Principal of the Year are:
Ginger Richard, principal at Green T. Lindon in Youngsville;
Selena Gomes, principal at Jennings High School;
Kellie Rabalais, principal at Palmetto Elementary School;
Kevin Dugas, principal at St. Martinville Senior High School;
Shantell Toups, principal at J. S. Aucoin Elementary in Morgan City;
and Patricia Gaspard, principal at Forked Island/E. Broussard Elementary School.

The Louisiana Department of Education says the finalists for the awards will be announced on May 25 at the 2021 Teacher Leader Summit in New Orleans. The winners will be announced during the 15th-Annual Excellent Educators Awards Gala on July 16. The semifinalists will also be honored during the same ceremony.