Lai Thi Cao is a physics and physical science teacher at Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, LA; the school is part of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. She has been a teacher for 21 years and has served 12 years in her current position. Ms. Cao is the lead teacher for the school’s science fair and she assists with freshman science testing. She takes her students into elementary schools to demonstrate science experiments to generate interest in science.
Fellow teachers, former students, and educational administrators believe Ms. Cao is an effective teacher who gives beyond the classroom. Students seek her out even when they no longer have her as a teacher. Teachers and administrators know Ms. Cao will complete any assignment she volunteers for or is given and that the assignment will be done well. She has served as a judge at regional and state science fairs and she presents at conferences on a regular basis. Ms. Cao was one of the first teachers to set up a Web site for students to access information about their homework and classwork.
Ms. Cao has received several awards during her teaching career. She has been Teacher of the Year at her current school and in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She also received a Governor’s Award for her volunteer efforts and received a Toshiba ExploraVision regional award.
Ms. Cao is a National Board Certified Teacher in Physics. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in both Vietnam and the United States. She has a B.S. in physics and mathematics and an M.Ed. from Louisiana State University.