A Night to Remember: Celebrating Excellence at the 3rd Annual NOETA Gala

This year’s 3rd Annual New Orleans Excellence in Teaching Awards (NOETA) Gala was a truly unforgettable evening! Nearly 500 guests gathered at the stunning Ritz-Carlton New Orleans to honor 90 phenomenal educators—the very best from every public school in the city. The energy in the room was electric as educators, their families, friends, and community leaders came together to celebrate the impact of great teaching in New Orleans, and New Orleans becoming one of the best places to teach in America.

We were thrilled to present each NOETA honoree with a $1,000 Classroom Excellence Grant, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, including lead supporters Entergy and the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Orleans Teacher Community. These grants, funded by event sponsorships and ticket sales, will help these educators continue their outstanding work in the classroom.

Watch the video below for a sneak peek into this year’s gala!

Honoring Remarkable Educators

This year’s honorees truly represent the best of the teaching profession. Together, they average 16 years of experience, with the most seasoned teacher among them bringing an incredible 49 years of service to the classroom! They teach every academic subject and contribute deeply to our community in countless ways—many are coaches, mentors, advocates, artists, musicians, and more.

This diverse group also reflects the rich cultural fabric of our city:

• 62% are African American
• Over one-third earned their degrees from New Orleans colleges, and more than half graduated from colleges across Louisiana

Their dedication and impact were celebrated through thoughtful remarks from the NSNO team, NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, Jeff Hundley of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and Nyka Scott of Entergy New Orleans, who reminded us all of the essential role teachers play in shaping our future.

You can see the full list of educators who received their NOETA awards here.

A Celebration Like No Other

The evening featured incredible performances from Grammy-nominated Tank and the Bangas, rising star Mecca Notes, and New Orleans’ own DJ Raj Smoove. Guests also enjoyed interactive activities, including a vinyl recording booth, a glitter station, nail art, and multiple photo booths, all adding to the fun and festive atmosphere. Click here to view the great photos from the photo booths!

The hashtag #NOETA2024 lit up social media with celebratory posts, photos, and videos from the night. If you attended, don’t forget to tag us—we’d love to see your memories (And we would love to collaborate with teachers in celebrating their students and their work going forward. If you’re an educator influencer, or hoping to be and are interested in collaborating, please email ayanna@nsno.org)!

Looking Ahead

The NOETA award and gala is part of the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Orleans Teacher Community, a partnership that allows us to celebrate and support educators year-round through events, programs, and resources. We’re already gearing up for another incredible NOLA Teacher Fest this spring and we’re beginning the countdown to next year’s 4th Annual NOETA Gala.

Tickets sold out early this year, so stay tuned for next year’s ticket and sponsorship announcements. We can’t wait to see you there as we continue to honor the amazing teachers, the stars of our system, who make New Orleans shine.