Teachers of the Year announced at annual Employees of Distinction Banquet

Ouachita Parish Schools is pleased to announce the 2025-26 Teachers of the Year for the district.

The awards were announced at the Employees of Distinction Banquet on Tuesday evening at the West Monroe Convention Center. Each school was represented with its Teacher of the Year and Support Person of the Year in attendance, along with its administrators and supporters.

In Elementary School, the Ouachita Parish Teacher of the Year is Lindsay Reynolds from Robinson Elementary.

Lindsay teaches fifth grade science and social studies. She has been in education for 19 years, spending the past five years in her current role. Lindsay earned her master’s degree in educational leadership, following a bachelor’s in music education, both from University of Louisiana at Monroe.

The foundation of her teaching philosophy is to instill a love of learning in her students and build their capacity to be confident, independent thinkers who value curiosity and inquiry.

“This requires hard work on my part, but as I tell my students, we can do hard things,” Mrs. Reynolds wrote as part of her Teacher of the Year application. “I work to foster a classroom environment where expectations are high and every voice matters. A huge part of growing students is teaching them to always reach forward. We are a goal-oriented classroom. Students set individual goals, class goals, grade level goals, and I make sure to communicate my teacher goals.”

Out of school, Lindsay serves as Director of Worship Ministries for her church. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family and all things Disney. Lindsay is married to Dr. Jeremy Reynolds and they have two children, Reed and Mary Lou.

Finalists for Elementary Teacher of the Year were Ashley Bennett (Sterlington Elementary), Kim Neal (Highland Elementary), Kimberly Takewell (Drew Elementary), and Heather Vidrine (Swartz Lower Elementary).

Good Hope Middle School choir teacher Mrs. Shauna Hamilton is the 2025-26 Ouachita Parish Middle School Teacher of the Year.

Shauna has been in education for 7 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music from North Adams State University in Massachusetts. In her classroom, Shauna believes in putting people first and content second.

Her goal is creating a classroom where students feel safe, valued, and free to be themselves. While she upholds clear expectations, she encourages students to express their personalities. Together they laugh, cry, and make music every day.

“True education begins when students feel liked, respected, and supported,” Mrs. Hamilton wrote as part of her Teacher of the Year application. “That doesn’t mean I lack rules or consistency, it means I focus on building trust. I greet every student by name each day and make sure they know I am genuinely glad to see them. No matter what is happening in my own life, I show up with a positive attitude, and my students recognize that.”

In her personal life, Shauna serves as choir director for her church, and enjoys playing the piano and knitting. She is married to Henry Hamilton and they have four children, Violet, Grace, Sarah, and Hannah.

Finalists for Middle School Teacher of the Year were Adrianna Fitzwater (East Ouachita Middle) and Hannah Greenwood (Riser Middle).

The Ouachita Parish High School Teacher of the Year is Ronnie Brothers from Richwood High.

Coach Brothers teaches high school physical education. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Harding University.

He has been in education for the past 29 years with the last 19 spent at Richwood High School. Ronnie has coached many students and is a Mentor teacher as well.

In his classroom, Ronnie believes he has an opportunity to teach students the value of maintaining an active lifestyle, how to work together as a team, and how to overcome any health challenges. His philosophy centers around creating a positive, inclusive, and engaging environment where every student can experience success.

“Beyond teaching specific skills, I must instill a sense of discipline, teamwork, and respect for others,” Brothers wrote as part of his Teacher of the Year application. “They should be adaptable, engaging, and capable of creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where every student can thrive, regardless of their ability level. in my own teaching, I believe that an outstanding PE teacher should not only be a role model for health and fitness, but also someone who empowers students to become independent learners.”

Outside of the classroom, Ronnie is a dedicated family man and active member of his church. He is married to Jemeal and they enjoy five children, Raschard, Rakeida, Briley, Dakota, and Mario.

Teachers of the Year were voted on by their peers at the school level. They competed on the district level by completing a portfolio, describing their teaching philosophy and instructional standards. They also went through an interview process before a panel of judges made up of school district and community leaders, as well as last year’s Teacher of the Year on their school level.

TEACHERS OF THE YEAR:

Elementary: Lindsay Reynolds, Robinson Elementary School

FINALISTS: Ashley Bennett (Sterlington Elementary), Kim Neal (Highland Elementary), Kimberly Takewell (Drew Elementary), Heather Vidrine (Swartz Lower Elementary)

Middle School: Shauna Hamilton, Good Hope Middle School

FINALISTS: Adrianna Fitzwater (Ouachita Junior High), Hannah Greenwood (Riser Middle)

High School: Ronnie Brothers, Richwood High School

2025-26 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR BY SCHOOL:

Boley Elementary: Laynie Roan 

Calhoun Elementary: Kristi Myers 

Calhoun Middle: JoLynn Hamby 

Central Elementary: Heather Murray 

Claiborne Elementary: Shelby Keyes 

Crosley Elementary: Kristy Rainwater

Drew Elementary: Kimberly Takewell 

East Ouachita Middle: Adrianna Fitzwater 

George Welch Elementary: Jada Adcock 

Good Hope Middle: Shauna Hamilton 

Highland Elementary: Kim Neal 

Jack Hayes Elementary: Amanda Eldridge 

Kiroli Elementary: Rebecca Walker 

Lakeshore Elementary: Kaitlyn Sisk 

Lenwil Elementary: Naomi Owen 

Ouachita Junior High: Brandi Townsend 

Ouachita Parish High: Carol Ward 

Pinecrest: Tiffany Dunn 

Richwood High: Ronnie Brothers 

Richwood Middle: Michelle Miller 

Riser Elementary: Reagan Canterberry 

Riser Middle: Hannah Greenwood

Riverbend Elementary: Kimberly Sullivan

Robinson Elementary: Lindsay Reynolds

Shady Grove Elementary: Veronica Capers

Sterlington Elementary: Ashley Bennett

Sterlington High: Monica Cagle

Sterlington Middle: Jessica Odom

Swartz Lower Elementary: Heather Vidrine

Swartz Upper Elementary: Abby Mitchell

Swayze Elementary: Fatimah Stevenson

West Monroe High: Zaria Tubbs

West Ouachita High: Krista Cockerham

West Ridge Middle: Lane White

Woodlawn Elementary: Barbara Essien

Woodlawn Junior High: Kelli Covington