Nearly 7,000 Louisiana Teacher Leaders Gather for Annual Summit

May 29, 2018
State Superintendent to Deliver Keynote Address, Announce 2019 Teacher and Principal of the Year Finalists May 30 at 9 a.m. CDT

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- This week, the Louisiana Department of Education will convene nearly 7,000 Louisiana Teacher Leaders for the 6th Annual Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit, held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The educators, who represent nearly every school system in the state, will spend Wednesday, May 30 through Friday, June 1 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 will focus on how schools can ensure meaningful growth for every child, every day.
 
"Louisiana students have made significant gains In recent years, and our educators have been at the forefront of that improvement," said State Superintendent John White. "This year's Teacher Leader Summit theme reflects the state's longstanding commitment to raising the bar and focuses on how our collaborative efforts can make those higher expectations work for all students, including our most vulnerable."
 
The annual Teacher Leader Summit is free to participants and will serve as the launch of preparations for the 2018-2019 school year and beyond. This year, more than 300 sessions --on topics ranging from alternative education to cultural diversity to school redesign--will be offered, many of which will be led by the Teacher Leaders themselves. The Department also added a national speaker series called "Ed Talks" to the lineup.
 
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 have ample opportunity to collaborate and share best practices with their peers, and in turn, foster a culture among educators that is engaging and empowering.
 
The event will kick off on Wednesday, May 30, at 9 a.m. CDT in the convention center's ballroom. Landry-Walker College and Career Preparatory Academy's celebrated brass band will perform, and Superintendent White will address the importance of supporting struggling schools and students. The 2019 Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists will also be announced during the celebration. To view a list of the semifinalists, click here. To watch a live video stream of the opening session, click here.
 
The Teacher Leader Summit, now in its sixth 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 more than 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 are nominated by their schools systems 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 among fellow teachers to reflect on student learning results, access and adjust planning tools to meet student needs, specifically by utilizing the Classroom 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, click here.
To watch a live stream of the opening ceremony, click here.
To download the Teacher Leader Summit mobile application, click here.
To engage with the Department on social media during the Summit, use or follow the hashtag #LAteacherleaders on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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