EBR school system names three Teachers of Year

• By STEVEN WARD
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: May 14, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The East Baton Rouge Parish school system announced the 2008-2009 Teachers of the Year on Tuesday, honoring a special-needs pre-school teacher, a 33-year teaching veteran and a high school Spanish teacher.

The winners were announced at a banquet sponsored by the nonprofit group Volunteers In Public Schools and Neighbors Federal Credit Union.

The winners are: Southdowns Elementary School pre-kindergarten teacher Carla T. Theriot; Valley Park Alternative School math teacher Cecelia Pelichet Perkins; and Capitol High School Pre-college Academy for Girls Spanish teacher Sarah Harris.

After the ceremony, Theriot said she got into teaching because she enjoys children and wanted to help them learn and explore their worlds.

“This is all very exciting but there are so many other teachers in the parish that could just as easily be standing here right now,” Theriot said.

Perkins, who was diagnosed with Guillian-Barré syndrome in 2004, said she wanted to be an educator because her mother and aunts were teachers.

According to Perkins’ application for Teacher of the Year, Perkins was told by medical professionals she would never be able to talk, walk or eat again because of the rare illness.

That illness attacks the peripheral nervous system and although it paralyzed her from her tongue to her feet, Perkins remained mentally alert while hospitalized.

Even though she uses a wheelchair, Perkins wanted to teach math at Valley Park Alternative School.

Harris said she went into education because of “a calling from the Lord.”

“This is all very humbling,” Harris said.

Harris also said the toughest part of her job is seeing a student who does not succeed and wondering if there was something more she could have done.

Each year, schools from all over the parish select a teacher to represent them in the district contest. In order to be considered, teachers must complete an application packet that answers questions on their professional history, philosophy of teaching, and community involvement. The system received more than 100 applications this year. After the applications are reviewed, judges conduct interviews and select 11 finalists.