Local Educators Up for 2017 Teacher and Principal of the Year

The Louisiana Education Department has announced its finalists for 2017 Teacher and Principal of the Year, and there are several local educators in the running.

The DOE says the 18 finalists were chosen from a field of 48 semi-finalists and represent school districts from every corner of the state.

"Congratulations to these outstanding educators. Each reflects the best in our profession through their relentless efforts to improve their instructional practices so students can achieve success," said State Education Superintendent John White. "Educators like these are the reason more of our children are graduating from high school and going on to college than ever before."

Teacher of the Year finalists are:

Amber Beach - Bossier Parish

**Beach is a teacher at Princeton Elementary school, and was named Bossier Parish Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Kristin Hudson - Caddo Parish

**Hudson teaches at Donnie Bickham Middle School and is Caddo's Middle School Teacher of the Year.

Erin Harless - Calcasieu Parish

Kalandra Loyd - Tensas Parish

Joni Smith - Livingston Parish

Anna Tarer - Franklin Parish

Natishia Thanni-Irvin - East Baton Rouge Parish

Kathleen Abboud - Terrebonne Parish

Torrence Williams - West Feliciana Parish

Principal of the Year finalists are:

Sedric Clark - DeSoto Parish

**Clark, Mansfield High School's Principal, was named High School Principal of the Year.

Carolyn Sue Barfield - Claiborne Parish

**Barfield was named 2016 Louisiana Principal of the Year. She's the principal at Rosepine Elementary.

David Carpenter - Rapides Parish

Elizabeth Cook - Monroe City Schools

Rae Daigle - Jefferson Davis Parish

Kenny Delcambre - Lafourche Parish

Kay Dornier - St. James Parish

Joey LaRoche - KIPP New Orleans

Jodi Romero - Iberia Parish

This year's state Teacher and Principal of the Year will be named Friday, July 15, during an awards ceremony at the 10th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Symposium and Celebration at the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge.