OPSB.net - TWO REGIONAL TEACHERS OF THE YEAR FOR OUACHITA PARISH

The Ouachita Parish School System is proud to announce that two teachers from our parish are finalists for the 2004-2005 Louisiana Teacher of the Year competition.

DeEtte Quinn
Photo courtesy of Albritton Photography

DeEtte Quinn of Riser Middle School has been named Regional Middle School Teacher of the Year, and Carolyn Sykes of Ouachita Parish High School has been named Regional High School Teacher of the Year. The Ouachita Parish teachers competed with parish finalists from East Carroll, Madison, Monroe City, Morehouse, Richland, Union, West Carroll, and finalists representing A. J. Brown Elementary, Grambling State University Lab School, and Northeast Special Education Center for the Region II title.

Carolyn Sykes
Photo courtesy of Albritton Photography

The Teacher of the Year awards program honors our state’s outstanding teachers who encourage leadership and provide a model of teaching excellence. The selection process is very intense—beginning with being nominated at the school level, winning at parish level, becoming a regional finalist, and finally competing with 24 teachers (eight at each of the three levels) from around the state for the title of Louisiana’s Teacher of the Year.

Quinn and Sykes will now travel to Baton Rouge in the fourth stage of competition to present a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation to the State Teacher of the Year selection committee. The finalists will be honored by the State Department of Education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at an awards banquet on Wednesday, October 20 in Baton Rouge. Four awards will be given at the reception: Louisiana Teacher of the Year at each level and 2005 Louisiana Teacher of the Year who will represent Louisiana in the National Teacher of the Year competition in Washington, D. C.