Two Bossier Parish educators are hoping to shine a light on local schools by bringing home awards from the Louisiana Department of Education.

Benton Intermediate School Principal Jennifer Burris was named a Principal of the Year Semifinalist and Michael Shelton, a first-year teacher at Rusheon Middle School, is a New Teacher of the Year Finalist.

A product of Bossier Parish Schools, Burris spent 13 years in the classroom as a teacher before transitioning to administration for the past 12 years. An agent of change, she has always been an innovative thinker.

Her spirit is vital at Benton Intermediate, which educates fifth and sixth graders. A first for Bossier Parish, the school is a hybrid of the familiar look of an elementary school with electives that mirror middle schools.

This led the school to kick off with Team Time Tuesday where all 753 students from nearly 50 different teams gathered together ranging from bowling and cornhole to chess, eSports, and everything in between. 

“I want every student to find their place to plug-in and belong,” said Burris. “Academics are important but it’s also important to cultivate a sense of belonging for our students.”

The program has been popular with students regularly asking her about Team Time Tuesday and it has also seen increased engagement with the community. Burris noted that this has given them the opportunity to work with partners like the North Bossier Tennis Center to instruct their tennis team.

She went on to say that this all moves towards creating a culture where area parents know their kids have the best opportunities. Burris added Benton Intermediate’s “rock star” teachers are actively working to grow their skills to improve their students.

“It’s not about taking a one-size-fits-all approach for our teachers, everyone is different,” said Burris. “I want to be in every classroom every day and work towards a culture change. But you know it’s working when other teachers are asking to observe other teachers and learn from them.”

Being named a Louisiana Principal of the Year finalist is an honor and she wants to use it to shine a spotlight on the district’s talent. 

“This community is thriving, and schools play a huge part in that because people want to live in a place with good schools that give their kids the best experience possible. I have no doubt our schools are knocking it out of the park,” said Burris. “I can’t wait to see how this district takes off and where the schools go in the future.”

A Bossier native, Shelton had a unique journey to teaching eighth-grade science. After majoring in biology at Louisiana Tech, he was accepted into a physician’s assistant school in late 2023. What should have been a dream come true felt off. 

After one month’s worth of prayers led him to consider alternative careers, Shelton’s school counselor heard about his passion for organizing events, talking to high schoolers in recruiting, and advising underclassmen as president of Greek Life. She asked Shelton if he had ever considered teaching, and a sense of calm washed over him for the first time in weeks. 

He said doors started opening and he was in an interview 20 minutes after getting a response to a phone call. One day later, he was offered a job. 

“I get asked all the time if I regret leaving behind PA school and having that big of a career change, but it’s been great. I love it and getting to be a mentor and role model is exactly what I wanted,” Shelton said.

That passion for understanding people and advise them is what drives him every day. Shelton believes in the power of personal connections and is committed to fostering meaningful relationships with his students.

He said his efforts to be engaged and intentional when talking to people let him see the long game in order to help others.

“It’s about making that other person feel heard and seen. I know some of my students may not appreciate it right now, but they will appreciate it in the future,” said Shelton. “I’ve already had some conversations where they get those ‘A-Ha’ moments and come back to tell me how appreciated our conversation made them feel. That’s important, especially when they may not get that feeling from many other places.”

Shelton said his nomination as a state New Teacher of the Year is a group effort, and he is just the face for all the hard work that goes on at his school and the district. He noted the Rusheon administration is full of all-stars, and he thanked Principal Mitch Maxwell for giving him a shot as a teacher.

“This school district took a chance on me. I was kind of lost and Mr. Maxwell really trusted me, this district believed in me. It’s been a group effort to get this far and I’m glad I can be the face to represent a place that has treated me and my family so well,” said Shelton. 

Finalists for Louisiana Teacher and Principal of the Year will be announced in May. Overall honorees will be announced at the 19th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Gala in July.