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GARYVILLE — Mrs. DeShanna Batiste has been named principal at Garyville-Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet School.

Batiste comes to GMMS from East St. John High School, where she had been an assistant principal since 2018. She also recently served as interim principal.

Prior to her time in St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools, Batiste was an early education teacher at Fifth Ward Elementary School in St. James Parish, where she also served as virtual learning facilitator. She also spent time as a third-grade teacher in Assumption Parish Schools.

“My philosophy is that effective instructional leadership, high expectations, scholar safety and a positive learning environment equals scholar success,” she said.

She said she plans to rebrand effective teacher instruction at the school and work to improve school culture, attendance, assessments and teacher turnover.

The first focus, however, will be on quality and effective instruction.

“We will set norms for what that will look like in all Timberwolves classrooms,” she said.

To help accomplish this, she plans to focus on teaching, training, coaching and mentoring faculty members.

Batiste graduated from Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in political science before pursuing her teaching certification from Nicholls State University. She went on to earn her master’s degree in educational leadership from Nicholls and is currently pursuing her master’s in curriculum and instruction from the school.