Just under 300 people turned out to bang drums, cheer, chant and walk for the future of East Baton Rouge Parish on Saturday, November 7, as part of the Phi Delta Kappa Walk for Education.  The walk, sponsored by the Louisiana State University (LSU) and Southern University chapters of Phi Delta Kappa (PDK, the professional educators’ association that is part of PDK International), began at Westdale Middle School on Claycut Road and ended at the public school district’s Instructional Resource Center (IRC) building on South Foster Drive.  The walk involved school bands, cheerleaders, dancers, teachers, PDK members, administrators, community leaders and parents. 

The purpose:  to drum up support and to stress the importance of education in our community.  According to Dr. Jayne Fleener, dean of the LSU College of Education and president of the LSU PDK chapter, the walk was part of the PDK International initiative to engage community support for schools.  The goal of the Walk for Education was to help communities provide support to their future great teachers while honoring the great teachers of the past and present.  By doing so, the walk aimed to elevate the status of the educational profession and unite communities in a common purpose.

Organizers, like Dr. Fleener (first photo, second from the right) and Wanda Crump of the Southern University PDK chapter (far left), were joined at the walk by emcee Donna Brit of WAFB (second from left), LSU Chancellor Michael Martin (center), East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS) Superintendent John Dilworth (far right) and the Westdale Middle School cheerleaders (front row).  They were joined by EBRPSS School Board member W. T. Winfield (second photo, back row at left), walk organizer and Southern University PDK Chapter President Mary Irma Cormier-Thomas (back row, second from the left), Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for the state of Louisiana Chair Linda Johnson (back row, second from right) and Baton Rouge Area Chamber education representative Gwen Hamilton (front row, far right).

Also speaking at the event was Louisiana District Attorney Hillar Moore.

Table displays represented the PDK chapters, YWCA, Big Buddy, Health Centers for Schools, I Care, GeauxHeart Baton Rouge, Jump Start Louisiana, Volunteers In Public Schools, Campus Federal Credit Union and Neighbors Federal Credit Union.  Campus Federal Credit Union provided the drinks, and Neighbors Federal Credit Union provided buses to transport the Istrouma High School marching band, cheerleaders and parents.