Amelia educator honored as one of 15 top principals in La.

J.S. Aucoin Elementary School’s Joe Stadalis is one of 15 principals across the state competing for Louisiana Principal of the Year.
“I couldn’t do it without a great support team … There’s a lot of teachers and paras that go unrecognized. They help me get the job done,” Stadalis said.
Dream Teachers and the Louisiana Department of Education announced the 15 Teacher of the Year and 15 Principal of the Year semifinalists. The individuals were selected from among hundreds who were nominated by their respective schools to receive special recognition for their outstanding contributions to the education of Louisiana students in pre-K through high school.
“I’ve been really humbled to be represent St. Mary Parish in elementary,” Stadalis said.
He is the only St. Mary Parish representative this year.
St. Mary Parish Superintendent of Schools Donald Aguillard said Stadalis is “a passionate instructional leader committed to providing J.S. Aucoin students with the educational opportunities needed to ensure learning and increase achievement. Joseph arrives at school each day with a focused commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of children.”
Aguillard said the entire J.S. Aucoin community, through Stadalis’ leadership, practices a curriculum model used to increase student achievement.
“Mr. Stadalis is congratulated for his selection as a semi-finalist in the 2015 Principal of the Year program,” Aguillard said.
J.S. Aucoin Elementary School is located in Amelia.
The educators will be recognized at the eighth annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Symposium and Celebration to be held July 12 in Baton Rouge.
State Superintendent of Education John White said “It’s a privilege to be able to recognize these semifinalists who represent the personal commitments to excellence made every day in schools and classrooms around our state. Our teachers and principals, those closest to the students, are the backbone of our educational system. They are shaping the lives of our children and we all enjoy honoring them in this special way.”
The symposium, conducted in partnership with the state Department of Education and the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, presents professional development opportunities for all Louisiana teachers and principals in addition to the recognition of Louisiana’s 2015 Teacher of the Year and the 2015 Principal of the Year.
Both will travel to Washington, D.C., to compete at the national level.
To celebrate their success in the classroom, Dream Teachers and its corporate and community sponsors provide award packages to semifinalists, finalists and the 2015 winners. Dream Teacher volunteers solicit contributions throughout the year to co-sponsor the symposium and to award more than $100,000 in cash, gifts and services.
Dream Teachers Chairman Jamey Firnberg said “Congratulations to all of the semifinalists. These outstanding educators truly inspire not only their students and those they lead, but all of us through their unceasing dedication to children.”
Dream Teachers is the nonprofit organization created by the private sector in 2006 to publicly recognize the best and brightest education professionals in the state at an annual Educator Excellence Symposium. The mission of Dream Teachers is to inspire excellence in education, enhance performance in the classroom, and to recognize and reward exceptional Louisiana educators.