Woodvale Elementary teacher semifinalist for state Teacher of Year

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- Woodvale Elementary fourth-grade teacher Stacy Stutes has been named as a semifinalist for the Louisiana Department of Education's statewide Teacher of the Year 2022-23 competition.

Stutes is a 13-year veteran of teaching English Language Arts. A UL-Lafayette graduate, she has also worked in TV and radio news, as well as in corporate communications for Shell Oil Company.

According to Lafayette Parish School System Public Information Officer Allison Dickerson, Stutes was first nominated by her peers and evaluated by district administrators and community leaders in being named Woodvale's Teacher of the Year and later the District's winner. If she wins at the state level, she will compete on the national level.

Dickerson said her placement in the statewide contest is a "huge honor, and we couldn't be more proud of her accomplishment.

"The district utilizes the comprehensive application provided by the Louisiana Department of Education that includes submitting a teaching video, a lesson plan which corresponds to the teaching video, student learning targets, and letters of recommendation in order to fully showcase the talents of each teacher," said Dickerson. "A rubric is utilized to score the applications and top contenders are interviewed by a committee of community leaders in order to select the district winner at each grade level."