Opening Session to Include Keynote Address from State Superintendent, Announcement of Public Interest Fellowship Winner
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- This week, the Louisiana Department of Education will convene more than 6,500 Louisiana educators for the 7th 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 through Friday 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 has a longstanding commitment to raising the bar, and as a result, more students than ever before are graduating in four years, earning college and career credentials, achieving eligibility for TOPS scholarships, and pursuing post-secondary education and training," said State Superintendent John White. "During the 7th annual Teacher Leader Summit, we will celebrate those hard-earned gains, but more importantly, we will focus on how our collaborative efforts can make those opportunities accessible to all students, including our most vulnerable."
The annual Teacher Leader Summit will serve as the launch of preparations for the 2019-2020 school year and beyond. This year, more than 300 sessions --on topics ranging from early childhood education to Louisiana's innovative assessment pilot to school improvement--will be offered, many of which will be led by the Teacher Leaders themselves. The Summit will also feature "Ed Talks," a speaker series featuring six national education leaders.
View a list of all sessions.
View the "Ed Talks" speaker 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, June 26, at 9 a.m. CDT in the convention center's theater. Students from The Performing Arts Academy of St. Bernard Parish will perform, and Superintendent White will address the current state of education in Louisiana and outline the academic strategy for the future. In addition, Kimberly Eckert, 2018 Louisiana Teacher of the Year and recipient of the inaugural Louisiana Public Interest Fellowship, will announce the winner of the Fellowship for the 2019-2020 school year, and South Lafourche High School will be honored as the 2019 Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit Premier School.
Watch a live stream of the opening ceremony.
The Teacher Leader Summit 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.
Learn more about the 2019 Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit.
Follow along on social media through the Department's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages, using the hashtag #LATeacherLeaders.
# # # # # #