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Paris Independent School District named Nelisa Kelley as Elementary Teacher of the Year and Dr. James Ludyen as Secondary Teacher of the Year at a celebration Thursday held at Wildcat Stadium. Both will represent Paris ISD in the Region VIII Education Service Center Teacher of the Year competition.
Kelley holds certifications in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and English as a Second Language. Kelley received her education at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. She started her journey with Paris ISD at Lamar County Head Start in 1998 and is presently teaching First Grade Bilingual at Justiss Elementary School.
In 2003 Kelley was hired as one of the District’s first ESL teachers, where she fell in love with the Hispanic culture and families. Kelley has spent the last eleven years teaching math, science, and social studies while building relationships with students and families. Kelley expressed, “Bilingual education is a passion for me, and I believe it is so much more than teaching academics.”
Dr. Ludyen holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Master’s Degree, and a Specialist in Community College Teaching in History from Arkansas State University. In 2014, he received his Principal Certification from Lamar University. Ludyen received his Doctorate of Education in K-12 Teacher Leader Studies from Capella University in 2020.
Dr. Ludyen has nine years of teaching experience, with five years at Paris High School. He is currently teaching 11th grade U.S. History as well as dual credit U.S. History. Ludyen believes that education provides needed empowerment to ensure that all students can live up to their potential and look out for the interests of their families and communities. Ludyen stated, “Lifelong learning is especially relevant today as students will need to be able to adapt and grow to meet the challenges inherent to this highly technological age of information.”