The Louisiana Department of Education announced the finalists for the 2020 Teacher and Principal of the Year awards during a reception hosted by First Lady Donna Edwards and Dream Teachers, LLC, at the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion on Friday, May 24. The 18 finalists are elementary, middle, and high school educators from school systems across the state. Winners will be selected from this group and named at an awards ceremony this summer.
S. Chad Schulz, principal at South Beauregard Elementary School, is one of the finalists.
He is a nineteen year veteran of education and began his service teaching fifth grade in the same school that he attended as a child. He currently serves as the Principal of South Beauregard Elementary in Longville. Previous to his current appointment, Schulz served Merryville High School as Assistant Principal (’11-‘13) and Acting Principal (’13-‘14). His time at this PreK-12 school afforded him the opportunity to see the “big-picture” of a student’s educational journey from start to finish. He then went to South Beauregard Elementary as Assistant Principal (’14-‘17).
More than 200 nominations for Teacher and Principal of the Year were submitted. The 18 finalists will soon participate in face-to-face interviews with selection committees led by community and education leaders. The selection committees will ultimately choose the state division-level and overall winners.
All 2020 Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists and semi-finalists will be honored, and the overall state-level winners will be announced at the 13th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Symposium and Celebration on Friday, July 19, at the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge. The event is co-sponsored by Dream Teachers, a nonprofit organization that partners with businesses, industry representatives, and organizations throughout the state to recognize and reward educators who model instructional excellence and dedication to serve the needs of children.
