Delisle Elementary principal named MDE Administrator of the Year Finalist

The Mississippi Department of Education has named the finalist for Administrator of the year for 2021 in the state of Mississippi.

Opinion writing, the lesson of the day in Ms. Smith’s English, language and arts class at Delisle Elementary School.

This third-grade teacher shares an opinion of her own when it comes to the recent news of Delisle Elementary School Principal Dr. Mandy Lacy being announced as a 2021 Mississippi Administrator of the Year finalist by the Mississippi Department of Education. “Dr. Lacy has an open-door policy, and whenever we have a need, we can always go and talk to her, and she listens to those needs, and provides, not only our teachers but also our students, and has the same philosophy for our parents, an open-door policy, as well.”

Communication is key, especially when it comes to the past year’s COVID pandemic and challenged, uncharted territory for all. Dr. Lacy said, “The theme this year is, ‘Every day is a new adventure,” because certainly that’s the case on any normal day, but this year, we’re all new teachers. We are all learning to teach in the wake of a pandemic, so we have just really just embraced that and just tried to make the most of a very difficult situation, and like I said, I feel like our teachers have done a really dynamic job in making this year successful.”

When Dr. Lacy began mapping out her career, it wasn’t in the initial plans to be a school administrator. “I started here in 2002 as a second-grade teacher. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I didn’t always know I wanted to be a principal.”

Now, 19 years later, she’s worked as a teacher, assistant principal, and has served as Delisle Elementary’s principal for four years, but for her, the focus is on those who surround her on a daily basis. “We believe in our district that all students will excel when they are engaged in the learning process, so when we make our learning fun and engaging then we are more likely to reach all of our learners. Our teachers do a really great job of creating lessons that engage our students and let them really enjoy learning while it’s taking place.”