Laura Caillouet, second-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary School in Iola, encourages her students to read and write by having them take turns caring for the class mascot, a stuffed bear named Bernie, who comes with a bag of books and a writing journal. Ms. Caillouet has strengthened the school-home dialogue by helping to initiate student-led parent-teacher conferences at Jefferson. She coordinates a district-level in-service program that promotes instructional equality in the classroom and served as a team leader during Jefferson's recent Quality Performance Accreditation process. As president of the local teachers' association, Ms. Caillouet helped establish a committee to build partnerships with local businesses and increase public awareness of educational issues.
1979 Pittsburg State University, B.A.
