Sixth cohort of the year-long leadership program will prepare future principals from 22 school systems to lead schools focused on high-quality instruction and improved student outcomes
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has selected 50 educators for the 2026-2027 Aspiring Principal Fellowship, the program's sixth cohort. The fellows represent 22 school systems across the state.
The Aspiring Principal Fellowship is a selective, year-long program that prepares educators to step into the principalship. Fellows take part in immersive learning experiences, statewide collaboration, and direct engagement with exemplary Louisiana principals. The program runs from June 2026 through April 2027 and includes full-day, on-site visits with high-performing principals, collaborative professional learning, and job-embedded leadership practice in real school settings.
The fellowship is aligned to Louisiana's Education Priorities and the Louisiana Leader Rubric, the framework used to evaluate principals. Fellows focus on instructional leadership and coaching, leading the use of high-quality instructional materials in mathematics and literacy, literacy and numeracy leadership, using data to guide school improvement, and designing schedules and staffing that protect instructional time.
Research links strong school leadership to student achievement, and the fellowship is part of the LDOE's broader effort to build the state's leadership pipeline. Louisiana recently ranked first among states for reading growth and second for math growth on the latest national Education Scorecard, and is the only state to surpass 2019 levels in both subjects.
About the Aspiring Principal Fellowship
The Aspiring Principal Fellowship supports up to 50 aspiring school leaders each year. By the end of the program, fellows complete a leadership portfolio, gain insight from effective school leaders across the state, and build a statewide professional network. For more information, contact [email protected].
2026-2027 Aspiring Principal Fellows
Bossier Parish
- Kirstian Bryant
- Farrar Modisette
Caddo Parish
- Yolanda Bolden
- Patrick Dennis
- Destiny Jenkins
- Annie Pearl McCulloch
Calcasieu Parish
- Dr. Tamekia Holliday
- Parry LaLande
Charter Schools USA
- Jasmine Goodly
DeSoto Parish
- Cora Saverino
East Baton Rouge Parish
- Dana Harris
- Karla Huxen
- Jami Levert
- Pamela Talbert
- Weslyn Young-Carmouche
Iberville Parish
- Chamarcus Lewis
- Ebony Williams
Impact Charter
- Shaniqual Bailey
Jefferson Davis Parish
- Heidi Duplantis
- Hubert Gautreaux
- Lacey Hetzel-Austin
Lafourche Parish
- Andrea Rogers
- Cameron Walls
Lake Charles Charter Academy
- Keanna LeBlanc
Livingston Parish
- Thomas Beswetherick
- Jordan Guidry
- Alysha Leonard
- Helena Olson
- Jason Vande Vuss
Morehouse Parish
- Dr. Eboni Brown
Natchitoches Parish
- Shellil Adams
Ouachita Parish
- Nick Artigue
- Jamaica Below
- Bucky Chandler
- Erica Faust
- Haley Holley
- Jennifer Routon
- Dewayne Williams
Plaquemines Parish
- Erica Jones
Pointe Coupee Parish
- Alisa Brown
- Priscilla Temple
- Nikki Torres
Rapides Parish
- Jennifer Tyler
St. Landry Parish
- Bliss LeBlanc
- Charles Sonnier
St. Martin Parish
- Kamekia Frazier
St. Mary Parish
- Herman Hartman
Terrebonne Parish
- Michelle Chaisson
- Valerie Hebert
- Katy Ledet