Central West Virginia Writing Project

2025 Laura Tracy Baisden Award Winner

Laura Tracy Baisden Award for Exemplary Teaching of Writing

The West Virginia writing community lost a friend and advocate in 2018 with the untimely passing of Laura Tracy Baisden. During her two decades as a Logan County educator and member of the National Writing Project, Ms. Baisden touched countless lives with her generosity, compassion, and dedication to the craft of writing. The Central WV Writing Project wishes to celebrate the life and work of Laura Tracy Baisden by establishing a memorial award that will recognize an exemplary teacher of writing within West Virginia. The award will be presented annually at West Virginia Young Writers Day.

 

Look for the next nomination for the 2026 award to be open in Fall 2025.

The 2025 Recipient of the Laura Tracy Baisden Award for Exemplary Teaching of Writing

Dr. Allyson Perry

Allyson Perry has taught at Barrackville Elementary Middle School in Marion County since 2014. Currently, she teaches 8th-grade English Language Arts and West Virginia Studies. In 2018, she earned National Board Certification in English Language Arts-Early Adolescence, and in 2022, she graduated with her Ed.S. and Ed.D. degrees in Curriculum and Instruction with an area of emphasis in literacy from Marshall University.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Perry sponsors the Student Council and Y-Teens as well as coordinates the Young Writers Contest, the VFW Patriot’s Pen Contest, Spelling Bee, and Social Studies Fair at Barrackville. For Marion County Schools, she has mentored new teachers, participated in textbook adoptions, and published curriculum maps. She also has led professional development sessions aimed at fostering growth in reading and writing, especially in the content areas.
At the state level, Dr. Perry has worked with both the Central West Virginia Writing Project (CWVWP) at Marshall University and the National Writing Project site at West Virginia University (NWP@WVU). Over the years, she has participated in their educator institutes, judged Young Writers submissions, presented at conferences, and led professional workshops across the state. She is grateful that both organizations have given her the opportunity to share her passion with other educators in order to advance students’ reading and writing skills.