Albany Teacher Named Louisiana’s New Teacher of the Year
LIVINGSTON, La. – Albany Middle School’s Phoenix
Morel LeBlanc has been named the Louisiana New Teacher of the Year winner.
LeBlance was selected from a field of
9 first-year teachers from across the state. The award was presented during the
17th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala, which was held at
the WWII Museum in New Orleans on July 22.
Albany Lower Elementary Teacher
Payton O’Nellion was also a finalist in the competition.
“We are excited and proud of Ms.
Phoenix for receiving this amazing accolade. Her professionalism, content
mastery, work ethic and genuine concern for the academic, social, and
behavioral growth and success of all students has made her a deserving
recipient of this award,” Albany Middle School Principal John Hill said.
As the state’s “New Teacher of the
Year,” LeBlanc will serve on a state committee to help train new educators, as
well as attend professional learning modules and affinity groups that provide
guidance in classroom management, standards and curriculum, and other education
challenges.
“These really are great opportunities
for teachers to receive additional relevant training for the profession,”
LeBlanc said. “It is a great way to encourage collaboration and help new
teachers feel included and valued. We will also be able to review documents
pertinent to the training to give the perspective of a ‘new teacher.’”
LeBlanc noted that she has already
participated in a variety of panel discussions and presentations and is looking
forward to actively engaging in more sessions through her “one-year reign.”
LeBlanc teaches 7th grade science at
Albany Middle School. She is also the head cheerleading coach and sponsor of
the Albany Middle School science club. She holds a Bachelor of Science in
Biology with a concentration in Education from Southeastern Louisiana
University in Hammond, La.
“Ms. Phoenix is a great
representative of countless outstanding educators in our district that
continuously push beyond their basic job duties to ensure our students and our
schools excel in many areas,” Hill said.
Pictured at the 17th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala in New Orleans in July, from left to right, are Livingston Parish School Superintendent Joe Murphy, Louisiana New Teacher of the Year Phoenix Morel LeBlanc, Livingston Parish School Board Member Stephen Link, and New Teacher of the Year Finalist Payton O’Nellion.