Jefferson Parish Schools (JP Schools) named its district winners for the Louisiana Department of Education’s New Teacher of the Year program. This award recognizes educators new to the profession who have demonstrated outstanding instructional practices. These individuals are now eligible to compete at the state-level to become the 2024 Louisiana New Teacher of the Year.
This year’s honorees for JP Schools New Teacher of the Year include: Katie Ricouard, Gretna No. 2 Academy; Year Allie Davis, Thomas H. Harris Middle School; and Pamela Augusts, Helen Cox High School.
“Congratulations to our New Teachers of the Year Award recipients. Their passion for educating and excellent instructional methods make me excited about what the future holds for not only our teachers, but the students they impact. Their careers are off to a promising start, and I’m proud to have them part of our school district,” said Superintendent Dr. James Gray.
Katie Ricouard, Gretna No. 2 Academy: Katie Ricouard currently teaches 5th grade ELA and social studies at Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in History. She went on to earn a Master's of Arts in Educational Technology from Louisiana State University. She taught one semester of second grade math and science before transitioning to fifth grade, allowing her to bring her love of history to the classroom for her students. Her content knowledge, combined with engaging lessons, has helped her students. 91% of her students reached mastery or above on Social Studies Benchmark 2, with 58% of them reaching advanced.
Allie Davis, Thomas H. Harris Middle School: Allie Davis currently teaches 6th grade ELA at T. H. Harris Middle School in Metairie, LA. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 2021 where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. After taking a year off to spend time with her newborn, her life changed courses and she began pursuing a career in education. She then enrolled in an alternate certification program, iTeach, which she currently juggles along with first year teaching looking to gain full certification.
Pamela Augusts, Helen Cox High School: Pamela Augusts teaches 9-12th grade which includes Math, English, Social Skills, Career Readiness, and Customer Service. She received her Degree from the Southern University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and an Associate in Addiction Counseling.
