University of New Orleans Teacher Education Program

Teacher preparation is key to longevity in the classroom. UNO’s (LSU New Orleans) School of Education faculty get to know each student as individuals to make sure they’re ready for Residency in the district of their choice. Shoutout to three UNO graduates: Mia Blum, Clare Melerine - 2026, and Tiffani Glapion 2009 M.Ed in Ed Leadership. Our roots run deep and we’re still growing.

Inside Louisiana’s yearlong residency program for new teachers: ‘They’re seeing it all’ Explore the success and benefits of year-long teacher residencies in Louisiana, aiding in teacher retention and providing a pipeline of talent for school districts.

Congratulations to our teacher education graduates! We are proud of your accomplishments and celebrate you today at commencement.

On National Teacher’s Day we were thrilled to celebrate our honorees for the Louisiana Board of Regents Future Educator’s Honor Roll. Congratulations to Clare Melerine and Hailey Richard who were honored among nearly 40 future educators from across the state! We’re sending a special shoutout to Jay Weisman & Kelly Ryan, our Milken partners for being on hand to celebrate our Privateer teachers with us!

TEP hosted three outstanding Louisiana Milken Educators last night. They shared teaching and career advice with our pre-service educators. We are thankful for their time and mentorship.

Alumni Spotlight: Hannah Mendoza, who inspired students at our "Privateers in Practice" event, earned her M.Ed. from the University of New Orleans in August 2024. Hannah is a K–3 Literacy Interventionist and was named Jefferson Parish Elementary District Teacher of the Year for the 2025–2026 school year!

Congratulations to Teacher Preparation Seniors Hailey Richard Courtney and Mia Blum. Hailey and Mia were honored today by the Council for Greater New Orleans Chapters of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The council honors two UNO high achieving graduating seniors who attended and graduated from public high schools in the parishes represented by local chapters. They were presented awards and memorial stipends by Mrs. Kay Caruso, Council Chair and Dr. Ashleigh Pelafigue, UNO Faculty and a member of the Alpha Delta Chapter.

Alumni Spotlight: Brandi Miller, who recently inspired students at our "Privateers in Practice" event, graduated from University of New Orleans in the spring of 2024. She teaches at South Plaquemines Elementary School and was named 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year for her campus and district!

Alumni Spotlight: Juliana Falanga, who recently inspired current TEP students at our "Privateers in Practice" event, graduated from University of New Orleans in December 2024. Juliana is now a 3rd grade ELA and Social Studies teacher at Ethel Schoeffner Elementary School, where she was honored as the St. Charles Parish New Teacher of the Year for the 2025–2026 school year!

More information will be coming out soon, but I want to confirm that no regular education teacher certification programs (elementary or secondary) have been proposed for closure. Please contact me, Melissa Nunez-Teacher Education Coordinator, if you have any question [email protected].

Tonight we hosted three outstanding alumni: Hannah Mendoza, Brandi Miller, and Juliana Falanga, at Privateers in Practice, our second professional development event of the semester. These recent graduates, who were honored as Teacher of the Year at their respective schools, shared their expertise and offered advice to our TEP students that will help them transition from student to teacher.