Elementary, Middle and High School Educators Honored During Virtual Awards Gala
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education tonight announced the 2021 Louisiana Teacher and Principal of the Year at the 14th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Awards Gala, which was held virtually. Nathalie Roy, of Glasgow Middle School in East Baton Rouge Parish, was named the 2021 State Teacher of the Year. Alnata Dione Bradford, of Parkway Elementary School in Vernon Parish, was named the 2021 State Principal of the Year.
"Congratulations to Nathalie and Alnata for being recognized as the very best at what they do in our state. I'm proud to have them represent Louisiana." said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. "As we lead through this pandemic, our families should be comforted to know we have educators like the many we recognized tonight who are serving their children."
2021 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year
Nathalie Roy teaches Roman technology, classical mythology, and Latin at Glasgow Middle School in East Baton Rouge Parish. Her classes feature interactive lessons about the ancient Romans and Greeks infused with STEM, a unique curricular idea that has afforded her many grant opportunities. Roy is a graduate of public school in Avoyelles Parish where both her parents were teachers. Roy studied classical archaeology at the American Academy in Rome (as a Fulbright Scholar) and at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. A National Board Certified Teacher, Roy has published articles on Roman technology with Cambridge University Press and the American Classical League, with whom she has partnered during the pandemic to offer free, live-stream, hands-on lessons on Roman technology. Although most of Roy's students had never been exposed to classical mythology, under her instruction 63% of students at Approaching Basic or Basic rose to 89% at Mastery or Advanced. Additionally, her Latin students went from 60% at Approaching or Basic to 100% Mastery or Advanced. Dedicated to service and citizenship, Roy is a longtime volunteer with Girl Scouts Louisiana East where she leads two troops. As a life-long Girl Scout, she strives through teaching to be a person of courage, confidence, and character who makes the world a better place.
2021 Louisiana State Principal of the Year
Alnata Dione Bradford is the principal of Parkway Elementary School in Vernon Parish Schools. She is the proud daughter of two Louisiana educators who share a combined total of 65+ years of teaching experience. Her parents instilled in each of their five children the importance of faith, love, and education. Bradford began as the assistant principal of Parkway in 2016, and was appointed principal in 2017. Parkway is located near an Army installation in Fort Polk, LA. The school houses 580 students in Grades 1-4, and is over 90% military affiliated. On average, Parkway tends to gain or lose five-seven students monthly due to military deployments or station reassignments. Despite the challenges of a transient population, Bradford remains resilient and ensures that notable learning impact is made for all students. Under her leadership, Parkway was recognized as an "A" school in 2017. Parkway was recognized last year as a Louisiana "Top Gains" school with 10.1 growth points and was also honored for receiving the most growth in the district with an SPS increase of 9.6 points. Previously, Bradford taught 3rd grade at West Leesville Elementary for 15 years. She received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Southern University A&M College and her masters in Educational Leadership from McNeese State University.
In addition to announcing the overall state winners, the Department named the 2021 State Elementary, Middle and High School Teacher and Principal of the Year winners.
The 2021 Elementary School Teacher of the Year is Angelle Bourgeois of Allemands Elementary School in St. Charles Parish; the 2021 Middle School Teacher of the Year is Trinette Wallace
of West Thibodaux Middle School in Lafourche Parish; and the 2021 High School Teacher of the Year is Kate Youngblood of Benjamin Franklin High School in Orleans Parish.
The 2021 Elementary School Principal of the Year is Rachelle Brown of Leblanc Elementary School in Vermilion Parish; the 2021 Middle School Principal of the Year is Dennis Stewart of Alexandria Middle Magnet School in Rapides Parish; and the 2021 High School Principal of the Year is Jerel Bryant of G. W. Carver High School in the Collegiate Academies.
In partnership with Dream Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Principals, the Department annually recognizes and celebrates some of the state's most exceptional educators through the Teacher and Principal of the Year programs. These programs provide an opportunity to acknowledge teachers and leaders who are making exceptional gains with students.
School systems from all across the state submitted nominations to the state-level Teacher and Principal of the Year process. All Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists and semi-finalists were celebrated and honored at the awards gala. To learn more about the current and previous Teacher and Principal of the Year honorees, visit the library. For questions about the Teacher and Principal of the Year programs, email excellenteducators@la.gov.
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