Lockport Middle Dr. Rodriguez Named 2025 Louisiana Middle School Principal of the Year

Congratulations to Lockport Middle School Principal Dr. Decina Rodriguez, who was recognized as the 2025 Louisiana Middle School Principal of the Year.

The presentation was held during the 18th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala at the World War II Museum in New Orleans. The prestigious recognition, organized by the Louisiana Department of Education, celebrates school leaders who have demonstrated exceptional progress with students and have exhibited an unwavering commitment to ensuring student success.

Dr. Rodriguez has been in administration in the Lockport area since 2008 and joined Lockport Middle School as Principal in 2022. Her outstanding leadership and dedication to her school community led to her selection as the Lafourche Parish School District’s Principal of the Year last fall. Since then, there has been a journey of gathering information to submit to the Louisiana Department of Education at the state level. She described the lengthy process as rewarding because she could see the data behind the school’s growth: “I really loved it because it allowed me to constantly pull up what we were doing as a school…I could see how we were doing on paper, but I also could feel it. I knew that Lockport Middle was succeeding tremendously.”

She witnessed the growth through the data, and not only through test scores, “Our discipline numbers were going down. Our attendance numbers were going up. And over time, you’re able to look at all this and actually see the growth. It was so rewarding for me just to go through the process because I was able to really see what I knew and what I felt in the environment,” she said. Her remarkable achievement at the district level has now propelled her to represent the state throughout the coming year.

Dr. Rodriguez’s selection is a testament to her exemplary leadership and her positive impact on the education community. She said she knew the educators she was up against for the state title, but she also knew her school’s achievements. “I knew how great our students and teachers, and our school as a whole, had done over the last few years,” she explained. Her energy was electrifying when she heard her name announced, “It was pure joy because I felt like we did it as a school. And to be able to bring it home to Lockport, it’s everything to me.”

Dr. Rodriguez believes creating a positive and nurturing learning environment is essential for growth, “Our students and teachers have done a tremendous job of making a learning environment where students can grow and be comfortable. I believe in assessment. I believe in test scores and I don’t ever diminish that. But the whole child is more important…if students are happy and comfortable to be at school, then the academics are going to come.”

She also gives homage to the community. She said the unwavering support and belief from the community have been integral to the school’s success. “When you have that kind of support around you,” she said, “the students can’t help but succeed. And so they truly are succeeding. Our kids are amazing. They really are.”