Southeastern Louisiana University

College of Education and Human Development honors students, teachers-principals of the year

Contact: Christina Chapple

5/9/06

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     HAMMOND -- Elementary education major Casey Harrison of Tickfaw and English education major Anne B. Robbins of Ponchatoula have been named the Outstanding Student Teachers in Southeastern Louisiana University’s College of Education and Human Development.
     Harrison and Robbins received their awards at the college’s annual honors convocation on April 27. They were selected from among seven nominees, including Brooke Savoie of LaPlace, Lisa Bennett of Prairieville, Jannean McKinney of Baton Rouge, Jo Ladette Kerr of Loranger, and Georgia Robinson of Zachary.

     At the 11 a.m. ceremony in the Cate Teacher Education Center Kiva, the college also recognized as its outstanding alumnus Stan Beaubouef, director of Teacher Certification and Higher Education for the Louisiana Department of Education. Beaubouef received his master’s degree in educational administration at Southeastern in 1977.

     After beginning his career as a social studies teacher and coach at Ponchatoula High School and Berwick High School in St. Mary Parish, Beaubouef subsequently served as principal at Berwick Junior High School and Berwick High School, where he was named St. Mary Parish Principal of the Year. He joined the St. Mary Parish school administration in 1995, serving as technology director and director of personnel and administration. He assumed his current position with the state Department of Education in 2004.

     Beaubouef also served for 12 years as a councilman for the city of Berwick, as chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Fairview Hospital and president of the Patterson Rotary Club and Berwick Bayou Vista Lions Club.

     Also at the honors convocation, the college recognized alumni who have been named state and national principals and teachers of the year. The college is creating a “gallery of honor” in the Cate Teacher Education Center to recognize the graduates’ state and national awards.

     "We pleased to honor the individuals in this gallery for achieving the highest honors for teaching or school leadership,” said Dean Diane Allen “We are proud of them for setting a standard of excellence for all others to follow.” 

     Principal and teacher of the year honorees were:

     ▪ Salmen High School teacher Anne Baird, who earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from Southeastern in 1998, named National Teacher of the Year in 2002.

     ▪ Milton Skorlich, named Louisiana Principal of the Year in 1999 and 2000 National Distinguished Principal of the Year from Louisiana. Now serving as a program evaluation consultant for educational programs throughout the state, Skorlich was principal of Alice M. Birney Elementary in Metairie when he received the award. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Southeastern.

     ▪ William Simpson, who received his bachelor’s degree in 1966 and master’s degree-plus 30 from Southeastern in 1968, named National Distinguished Principal of the Year from Louisiana in 1986. Also a program evaluation consultant, Simpson received the national honor while principal of Rudolph Matas Elementary School in Jefferson Parish.

     ▪ Suzanne Buras of Lake Harbor Middle School, named Louisiana Middle/Junior High School Teachers of the Year in 2003. She earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree-plus 30 at Southeastern.

     ▪ John Swang, St. Tammany Parish School Board Instructional Technology supervisor, named Louisiana Middle/Junior High School Teacher of the Year in 1991 while teaching at Mandeville Middle School. He earned his bachelor’s degree and master degree in curriculum and supervision at Southeastern.

     ▪ Alana Bradley, named Louisiana Elementary Teacher of the Year in 1988. She taught for 18 years in Ouachita Parish and three in Livingston Parish and earned her Southeastern master’s degree in education administration.

     ▪ Barbara Forshag, assistant principal at Hurst Middle School, named Louisiana Overall Teacher of the Year in 2001 while teaching at E.J. Landry Middle School in Hahnville. Her Southeastern degrees are in social studies education, 1970, and education administration, 1998.

     ▪ Lucille Vennen, formerly of Clearwood Junior High and currently with the Covington Educational Center, named Louisiana Overall Teacher of the Year in 2000. She earned her Southeastern master’s degree-plus 30 in administration and supervision.

     ▪ Melody Bonnette, formerly of Northshore High School and now a producer and on-air talent with the St. Tammany Parish School System’s educational access television channel, named Louisiana Overall Teacher of the Year in 1999. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies education in 1989, master’s degree in history in 1994, and plus 30 certification in 2006.

     ▪ East St. John High School Principal Debra Schum, named Louisiana High School Principal of the Year in 2003. She has Southeastern degrees in mathematics education and curriculum and instruction, as well as add-on certification in secondary school principalship.

     ▪ Teri Noel, principal of John S. Ory Arts Magnet School in LaPlace, named Louisiana Elementary Principal of the Year in 2001. She has a master’s degree-plus 30 from Southeastern in elementary reading as well as a number of education certifications.

     ▪ Slidell High School teacher Mary Biernacki, named Middle/Junior High Principal of the Year in 1997 while leading the administration of Sixth Ward Junior High and Elementary in St. Tammany Parish. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Southeastern.

     The college also announced the recipients of departmental honors, scholarships, and grants and new members of the Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Pi, and Phi Alpha honor societies and Southeastern’s own Thirteen Club honor society.

     Students receiving departmental honors and scholarships included:

     ANGIE – Bryan Warner, Title IV-E Child Welfare Grant Recipient

     BATON ROUGE – Angela Kaichen and Arianne Moore, Title IV-E Child Welfare Grant Recipients; Rachel Masters, nominee for Outstanding Student in a Professional Program

     COVINGTON – Danielle Coyne, Title IV-E Child Welfare Grant Recipient; Michelle Burley, Exemplary Graduate in Elementary Education

     DENHAM SPRINGS – Lacy Ricaud, Title IV-E Child Welfare Grant Recipient

     HAMMOND – Stephanie L. Robertson, Outstanding Senior in Music Education and Delta Kappa Gamma, Omicron Chapter Grant-in-Aid Scholarship     

     KENNER – Sonthia Coleman, Maddox Award for Outstanding Junior in Family and Consumer Sciences

     LULING – Kyra D. Bascle, Exemplary Graduate in Special Education.

     MANDEVILLE – Danielle Faucheaux, Outstanding Senior in English Education; Jenny C. Derveloy, nominee for Outstanding Student in a Professional Program

     NEW ORLEANS – Sandra Kae Cruz, Pyburn Award for Outstanding Senior in Family and Consumer Sciences

     PAULINA – Ericka Metge, Title IV-E Child Welfare Grant Recipient

     PEARL RIVER – Keith J. Brown, Outstanding Senior in Social Work and Outstanding Student in a Professional Program

     PONCHATOULA – David A. White, Outstanding Senior in Social Studies Education; Simone Alexander, Title IV-E Child Welfare Grant Recipient

     RESERVE – Matthew Chauvin, Exemplary Graduate in Elementary Education.

Captions …

(1) SOUTHEASTERN STATE AND NATIONAL TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS OF THE YEAR – At its annual honors convocation on April 27, the Southeastern Louisiana University College of Education and Human Development recognized alumni who have been named state and national principals and teachers of the year. From left, front, are Barbara Forshag, Teri Noel, Alana Bradley, Mary Biernacki, Lucille Vennen; back, William Simpson, Milton Skorlich, Anne Baird, Debra Schum, John Swang, Melody Bonnette, Suzanne A. Buras.

(2) SOUTHEASTERN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS -- At its annual honors convocation on April 27, Southeastern Louisiana University’s College of Education and Human Development named as its outstanding alumnus 1977 graduate Stan Beaubouef, director of Teacher Certification and Higher Education for the Louisiana Department of Education. Congratulating him is Dean Diane Allen.

(3) SOUTHEASTERN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HONORS (TANGIPAHOA) -- Residents of Tangipahoa Parish were among the award recipients at the Southeastern Louisiana University College of Education and Human Development=s annual honors convocation April 27. Shown with Dean Diane Allen, right, are David White, Ponchatoula, and Stephanie Robertson, Hammond.

(4) SOUTHEASTERN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HONORS (TANGIPAHOA) -- Residents of Tangipahoa Parish were among the award recipients at the Southeastern Louisiana University College of Education and Human Development=s annual honors convocation April 27. Shown with Dean Diane Allen, right, are from left, Casey Harrison, Tickfaw; Ladette Kerr, Loranger; and Anne Robbins, Ponchatoula.

(5) SOUTHEASTERN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HONORS (ST. TAMMANY) -- Residents of St. Tammany Parish were among the award recipients at the Southeastern Louisiana University College of Education and Human Development=s annual honors convocation April 27. Shown with Dean Diane Allen, right, are, from left, Michelle Burley and Danielle Coyne of Covington and Danielle Faucheaux of Mandeville.

(6) SOUTHEASTERN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HONORS (BATON ROUGE) -- Residents of Baton Rouge were among the award recipients at the Southeastern Louisiana University College of Education and Human Development=s annual honors convocation April 27. Shown with Dean Diane Allen, right, are Angela Kaichen, left, and Arianne Moore, center.

(7) SOUTHEASTERN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HONORS (NEW ORLEANS) – Southeastern Louisiana University family and consumer sciences instructor Jackie Diddier, left, and Diane Allen, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, right, congratulate Sonthia Coleman of Kenner, who was among the award recipients at the college=s annual honors convocation April 27. Coleman received the Maddox Award for Outstanding Junior in Family and Consumer Sciences.

(8) SOUTHEASTERN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HONORS (PRAIRIEVILLE) – Diane Allen, dean of Southeastern Louisiana University’s College of Education and Human Development, right, congratulates Lisa Bennett of Prairieville, who was among the honorees at the college=s annual honors convocation April 27. Bennett was one of four nominees for the college’s prestigious Outstanding Student Teacher Award in Elementary/Special Education.