Nearly 150 Educators Honored During Third Annual
Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Symposium and Celebration
BATON ROUGE, La. – Holly Franks Boffy, an 8th grade social studies teacher at Paul Breaux Middle School in Lafayette Parish, was named the 2010 Teacher of the Year tonight. The announcement was made during the evening celebration of the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) Third Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Symposium and Celebration in Baton Rouge. And thanks to the generosity of Mercedes Benz of Baton Rouge, the honor came with a set of keys and the use of a new Mercedes Benz for one year.
Franks Boffy has been teaching for eight years, and was selected from 21 Regional Finalists for Louisiana’s 2010 Teacher of the Year. The Regional Finalists for 2010 Teacher of the Year were honored along with 21 Regional Finalists for the 2010 Principal of the Year and Louisiana’s 2009 Superintendent of the Year, Gayle Sloan of St. Tammany Parish.
In fact, the Department’s day-long educational symposium included celebratory events where a total of nearly 150 educators across the state were honored. The highlight of the event was during the Educator Luncheon, when Louisiana First Lady Supriya Jindal expressed her congratulations and gratitude to educators across the state.
State education officials said the awards honor the exceptional work of individuals – but that the event as a whole reminds us as a state about the valuable role of educators in the lives of our children.
“This event provides us with the opportunity to honor these distinguished educators and administrators and to reflect of the dedicated and contributions of teachers, school leaders and administrators across Louisiana,” State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. “It is the one event devoted entirely to expressing our gratitude to those who work so hard to improve the lives and ensure the futures of Louisiana’s children. We are truly grateful for First Lady Supriya Jindal’s attendance and inspiring remarks and for the participation and generosity of the business sponsors and committee volunteers who make this event possible.”
Also announced during the evening celebration were the 2010 Teachers of the Year for elementary, middle and high school and the 2010 Principals of the Year for elementary, middle and high school.
Lydia Hollie McGee, of T.S. Cooley Elementary School in Calcasieu Parish is the 2010 Elementary School Teacher of the Year; Stacy Harkreader Neighbors, J.B. Martin Middle School in St. Charles Parish is the 2010 Middle School Teacher of the Year; and Major Donald R. Bailey, of Donaldsonville High School in Ascension Parish is the recipient of the 2010 High School Teacher of the Year Award.
The 2010 Elementary School Principal of the Year is Jamie S. Lawrence, Red River Elementary School in Red River Parish; the 2010 Middle School Principal of the Year is Albert Hardison, Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle School in Caddo Parish; and the 2010 High School Principal of the Year is George J. Hebert, Jr., Fisher Middle/High School in Jefferson Parish.
Regional level winners will receive a $500 check from Dream Teachers, LLA. State-level winners will receive $1,000 checks from Dream Teachers, LLC and prizes from Coca Cola, Community Coffee, Promethean, Inc.; E-Instruction, SMART Ideas®, Whole Foods; Blue Bayou Water Park; New Orleans Arena; Barnes and Noble and a plaque.
In addition to the Mercedes, Franks Boffy received two complimentary airline tickets to fly anywhere in the continental United States from Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport; free car rental for four days from Avis; and jewelry from Cohn Turner in Baton Rouge. She will also receive the latest set of handheld devices, the CPS Pulses, and an Interwrite Mobi—a mobile interactive white board from from E-instruction. From SMART Technology, Franks Boffy will receive a SMART Board™ and projector – an interactive whiteboard system, complete with document camera, interactive response system, technology training, and software, valued at more than $16,000.
“The teachers and principals honored today are well-deserving of the recognition they received, and I want to congratulate them and express my most heartfelt thanks to them for the extraordinary work they’re doing,” Keith Guice, President of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education said. “Our state is blessed with talented and dedicated teachers and administrators who stretch themselves above and beyond their roles each and every day, and we are so pleased to be able to honor some of them during this very special occasion.”
The Entergy Corporation was the presenting sponsor for the event. Other sponsors include The Shaw Group, Exxon Mobil, Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, Louisiana Lottery, School Aids, Performance Contractors, Billy Heroman’s Flowerland, State Farm, AMEDISYS, Community Coffee, Coca Cola Bottling Company, La Capitol Federal Credit Union, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Louisiana Machinery, Performance Contractors, The Christian Foundation, Weyerhaeuser, Albemarle, Chevron Products Company; Saia Auto Consultants, Owens Collision and Service Center, Himmel’s Hardware and Cabinets, Inc., Marathon Petroleum Company, Guaranty Corp., Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, CLECO Corp., Besselman Little Agency, HR Solutions, Dent Pro, LLC, Edgar Schiro, Coleman Partners Architects, D & J Construction, Postlethwaite and Netterville, Guaranty Corp., Apple Education, Albemarle Foundation, Container Technology and Supply, Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau; TOPCOR Services, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC, Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Donna Saurage Fund, Advance Baton Rouge, CITGO Petroleum Corp. Louisiana Association of School Executives, SMART Technology, Budweiser-Mockler Beverage, V-Tones, Raising Canes, Baton Rouge Little Theater, Enterprise Rental Car, ARAMARK, Apple Computers, Capital One, and Taylor, Porter, Brooks, and Phillips, LLP.
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