The St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District recently announced the 2016-17 District Principal and Teachers of the Year.

The District Principal of the Year is Stacy Bradford of East St. John Elementary School. The District Elementary Teacher of the Year is Jennifer Brock of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School. The District Middle School Teacher of the Year is Randie Bailey of John L. Ory Elementary School and the District High School Teacher of the Year is Lorenzo Edwards of West St. John High School.

Principal of the Year

Bradford has been the principal at East St. John Elementary since 2014, leading the school through a tumultuous 2015-16 school year in which a fire caused a move to a temporary campus. Despite that, the school topped the district in school performance score growth by improving its score 9.5 points.

“In the face of a devastating fire to East St. John Elementary, Mr. Bradford pulled his staff and community together to produce extraordinary growth among his student body,” Superintendent Kevin George said. “Mr. Bradford embodies the St. John Parish moniker of ‘grinders not whiners.’ He just gets the job done. He is an asset to our community and the reason why 650 students want to go to school each day.”

Bradford joined the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District in 2000 as a fifth-grade special education teacher at East St. John Elementary. He taught two years at the school before transferring to West St. John High School, where he spent eight years as special education inclusion teacher, Algebra I teacher, assistant principal and track and football coach. He spent one year at St. John Alternative School before assuming the leadership at ESJE.

“Winning this award didn’t sink in until I heard the eruption from the student body after the announcement was made over the intercom,” Bradford said. “I feel like East St. John Elementary is the school of the year in St. John the Baptist Parish and I know we’re not finished doing great work.”

Elementary

Teacher of the Year

Brock has been a fourth-grade teacher at Lake Pontchartrain Elementary for 10 years.

She currently teaches math to three sections of fourth graders and is the 504 coordinator, instructional coach and fourth-grade chairperson. Brock is also a district teacher leader, helping to lead professional development, creating assessments and writing scope and sequences for the district’s curriculum.

Principal Jason Beber described Brock as a perfectionist, a problem-solver, an innovator and a dynamic member of his team who goes above and beyond for the school and the entire district.

“Ms. Brock’s enthusiasm, love and passion for teaching and her students is evident in her classroom each and every day,” Beber said. “She is a master of classroom management and has convinced her students that they are responsible for not only their own learning, but their peers’. Ms. Brock has established positive relationships with her peers, students, administration and community members.

“Her students know that she will not accept anything but the best from each of them. Ms. Brock is the mold of what a teacher can be and should be, and what principals hope to duplicate amongst their staff.”

Brock has a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in teaching from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Middle School

Teacher of the Year

Bailey is in her sixteenth year of teaching, the last 14 of which have been spent at John L. Ory.

Although she has taught math and social studies, she has taught only math for the past eight years and boasts a 122.7 Algebra I assessment index.

She is the Beta Club and Book Club co-sponsor. As the Book Club co-sponsor she leads a group of students on a Youth Education Series field trip to Disney World each May. As the eighth-grade class sponsor, she takes students on numerous college field trips to encourage post-secondary education.

“Mrs. Bailey is a stand out in our building and across St. John the Baptist Parish when it comes to being a team player, trying new ideas and strategies, teaching across the curriculum and leading others in professional development,” Ory Principal Christal Sylvain said. “She has also been a trailblazer with the implementation of the Eureka Math curriculum and her Compass rating for student growth is a reflection of the quality of the instruction she provides daily. Her students are always eager to get to her classroom because she brings Math to life. She sets high expectations and her students meet them.”

Bailey has a bachelor’s in elementary education from Southeastern Louisiana University and a master’s in natural sciences with a concentration in math from Louisiana State University.

High School

Teacher of the Year

Edwards is in his fifth year of teaching at West St. John High.

He teaches nutrition education, baking and pastry arts, ProStart and career readiness to ninth through 12th grades. He is also the 4-H Club sponsor and advisor for SkillsUSA and DECA, a student organization for marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality and marketing sales and service.

“Mr. Edwards – ‘Chef’ – is a driving force at West St. John High School,” Principal Claude Hill said. “He has the respect of his students and colleagues. The desire to share his gifts – knowledge of cooking and customer service – with students and teachers is constantly on display in his classroom and around campus. I know that his students leave his classroom with a level of knowledge and respect for cooking and serving that he helps to foster in his teachings. Mr. Edwards is a proud alumnus of West St. John High School and his work helps to impact student motivation, self-esteem and confidence.”

Edwards received a bachelor’s in business administration and an associate’s in culinary arts from Nicholls State University. He is certified by the National Restaurant Association as a ServSafe Instructor/Proctor, ManageFirst Instructor/Proctor and Secondary Foodservice Educator.

Before joining education, he worked in many New Orleans restaurants including the Roosevelt Hotel and Sazerac Restaurant.