Ruston High School English teacher Julie Stephenson has received the honor of 2011 Louisiana High School Teacher of the Year. Stephenson received the award on July 23rd at the annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Symposium and Celebration, an event designed to honor Louisiana’s outstanding educators. She was chosen from among teachers in seven different regions.

An example of Stephenson’s dedication to the craft is that she has taken the ACT test at least once as a teacher and plans to take it every other year in order to gauge the real conditions of the test so she could properly prepare her students. Stephenson credits her affiliation with Laying the Foundation as helping to shape her instruction:

“All true educators know that they do not stand alone. Behind them are supportive colleagues, hundreds of students, and quality professional experiences. What has helped shape my instruction more than any other professional development has been Laying the Foundation. I am trained by high-quality teachers who are content experts and instructional masters, and they inspire me to know more, to go deeper, and to teach skills, not works, that will prepare students for college and for life.”

LTF congratulates English trainer Julie Stephenson.