BATON ROUGE — Several capital area teachers and principals were named as finalists for the 2026 Louisiana Teacher and Principal of the Year awards by the Louisiana Department of Education.

"Each of these finalists has gone above and beyond to ensure that students succeed," Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said. " We are proud to recognize and celebrate their exceptional work."

Three of the nine finalists for Teacher of the Year are from the capital region:

Tante Poche' (Gonzales Middle School, Ascension Parish)
Delanea Buffalo (West Feliciana High, West Feliciana Parish)
Regena Beard (Copper Mill Elementary, Zachary Community School District)

Three of the nine finalists for Principal of the Year are from the capital region:

Kyle Fontenette (Mayfair Laboratory School, East Baton Rouge Parish)
Justin Wax (Denham Springs Junior High, Livingston Parish)
Anna Faye Caminita (Ponchatoula High, Tangipahoa Parish)

According to the LDOE, the finalists were selected through a rigorous review process that evaluated their impact on student outcomes, instructional practice, leadership skills and contributions to their communities.

Recipients of the awards will be named and all state-level honorees will be celebrated at the 19th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala on July 26 at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, an event that is co-sponsored by Dream Teachers, a nonprofit organization that supports excellence in education across Louisiana.