Louise Smith is a 2026-2027 Teach Plus Arkansas & Mississippi Policy Fellow and band director at Gautier Middle School in Gautier, Mississippi, where she focuses on music literacy and social-emotional learning. She serves as building fine arts team leader and strategic planning coordinator. Louise is National Board certified, an ambassador for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and serves as vice president for the Mississippi Association of Educators. She was named Mississippi Teacher of the Year (2023–2024), recipient of the National Education Association Foundation Horace Mann Award (2024), and recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of “Twenty Professionals Who Made a Difference During the Pandemic” (2021). Louise earned a BA in music education and MEd in leadership and administration from the University of Southern Mississippi, and an EdS in educational leadership and administration from William Carey University.
