Learn from five inspiring educational leaders from the Lafayette Parish School System who share their experiences and insights that led them to receiving the Louisiana Comeback Campus distinction. Jody Slaughter-Duhon, Bridget Malveaux, Catherine Bricelj, Allison Champagne, and Tia Trahan share the unique approaches they take to create a positive and engaging learning environment for their staff and students. Richland Parish makes Em Cooper smile this week with their celebration of teachers for literacy improvements.

We are thrilled to be joined by two exceptional guests who have dedicated their lives to education: Dr. George Noflin Jr. and Ja'Deric Talbert. Dr. Noflin is a renowned educator, administrator, and community leader who is currently a professor at Grambling State University and the director of the Call Me MiSTER Program. Ja'Deric Talbert is a passionate student leader who is studying Elementary Education and serves as the President of the Call Me MiSTER Program. Join us as we explore their experiences, their passion for education, and the challenges they face in the field. The Louisiana Recruitment and Retention Fellowship of 2023 is what is making Em smile this week!

We are chatting with Dawn Sonnier and Camelita Alexander, 2022 School Health Winners. We learn about their educational careers and what motivates them to continue to make an impact on students, teachers, and parents. We also discuss their recognition and how occupational therapists and counselors can better their school systems. The Louisiana Exemplary Education program is making Em smile this week!

By popular demand, Dr. Brumley is back to chat with us again about Louisiana's State priorities, assessments, and the 2022 NAEP results. Em Cooper is also super excited to smile about Northshore Charter School, Hurst Middle School, George Washington Carver High, DeSoto, Pointe Coupee, and West Feliciana Parishes for their speedy implementation of literacy resources.

Rochelle Wilcox talks with us about what it means to value students, what makes a classroom special, and how to keep teachers around you motivated to go above and beyond for their students. She also shares how it feels to be the first recipient of the 2022 Louisiana Early Childhood Leader of the Year award. Lafourche Parish School System is making Em smile this week for being awarded a Louisiana Model of Excellence for science instruction.

We chat with Louisiana's very first New Teacher of the Year, Jordyn Vicknair. A graduate of Louisiana State University’s GeauxTeach program, she shares her journey through her first year of teaching, her love of teaching math, and the relationships she grew with her students. The graduates of Louisiana’s 2022 Aspiring Principals Fellowship make Em Cooper smile this week.

We chat with Dr. David Schexnaydre, a Louisiana-born and bred award-winning educator, about transforming schools based on student achievement, student wellness, employee engagement, and community involvement metrics. We also dive deeper and discover more Teacher Hacks that every instructor should have on hand.

Ethan Melancon is the Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and leads all legislative strategies for the Louisiana Department of Education. We chat with Ethan about his passion for his job, the legislative process, impactful workforce bills, and all the excitement from the past session. Also featured are new Teacher Hacks focusing on apps that make a massive difference in the classroom!

Judith Rhodes, Ph.D., Professor of Research and Director in the Social Research and Evaluation Center at Louisiana State University’s College of Human Sciences and Education talks with us about school attendance in a post-pandemic world and how we can re-engage students and parents to improve and maintain overall enrollment. We also highlight a mentor teacher at Hynes Charter School.