2024 Louisiana Teacher of the Year

Kylie altier

Buchanan Elementary school, east Baton Rouge parish

Mrs. Kylie Altier is a first-grade teacher at Buchanan Elementary School in Baton Rouge, LA. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Florida State University and her Master of Elementary Education with a focus on reading from Stephen F. Austin University. Altier believes that all students deserve to feel immensely loved in school and be excited by an engaging curriculum while having their learning tailored to their individual needs and interests. To that end, she has pursued grants to enrich not only her students' educational experiences but also the whole school community. With these grants, she brought life to a school garden focused on sustainable urban agriculture, created a mobile kitchen where students cook fresh vegetables they harvest, and designed a curriculum employing virtual reality headsets to boost experiential learning. She fills her classroom with experts to help students learn more about their passions. Altier’s students have gotten to interview and learn from a New York Times Best Selling Author, the National Championship winning Tiger Girls, curators from the Museum of Natural Science, and more! Last year, her students showed an average of 2.5 years of reading growth. While in Texas, Altier received many accolades, including being named Teacher of the Year for her school, district, and region in 2019 and the Mentor Teacher of the Year for Stephen F. Austin University in 2019. At Buchanan Elementary, Altier has started an extracurricular Garden Club, coordinated the first science fair, and led professional development in her district.


 

2022 HONOREES

  • Andrea Tinsley, Claiborne Parish

  • Angella Goodley, Orleans Parish, FINALIST

  • Angela Leach, Ouachita Parish, FINALIST

  • Brian Gough, St. Charles Parish

  • Brittini Matthews, Zachary Community SD, High School Teacher of the Year

  • Carrie Loridans, Caddo Parish

  • Cicely Jacob, Avoyelles Parish

  • Courtney Martin, Lincoln Parish

  • Courtney King, Cameron Parish

  • Ernest Hill, Richland Parish, Middle School Teacher of the Year

  • Indya Pruitt, Franklin Parish

  • Jeff Kenimer, Rapides Parish

  • Kaitlyn Richard, Beauregard Parish, Elementary School Teacher of the Year

  • Kararı Hanks, City of Monroe SD

  • Kayla Joseph, Evangeline Parish

  • Kobie Griffin, Central Community SD

  • Leah Dardin, DeSoto Parish

  • Lorie Miller, Allen Parish

  • Michele Pellissier, Jefferson Parish, FINALIST

  • Michelle Lewis, East Iberville Parish, FINALIST

  • Rhea Blanchard, Assumption Parish

  • Steve Brown, Bossier Parish

  • Victoria Roussel, St. James Parish

The Teacher of the Year Process

The process for selecting a Louisiana Teachers of the Year begins at the local level. Each school within every public or public charter school district is eligible to select a Teacher of the Year subject to their own selection criteria. Those individual local school nominations are sent to the District level for further review and consideration.

Each District Superintendent or public charter school District may select three outstanding teachers to forward to the State Department of Education for competition at the state level. Of the three District nominations, there will be one elementary, one middle school, and one high school teacher selected.

The Louisiana Department of Education continues a review and evaluation of all District candidates submitted. To learn more about the Teacher of the Year selection process, contact LDOE at louisianabelieves.com/teaching/award-programs. Questions regarding the selection process or on-line applications should be directed to the department.