(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Board of Education recognized 67 talented and passionate educators during its meeting on June 7. The KBE honored educators who had received awards throughout the school year due to their talent and passion for professional growth and perfecting their craft.
“Our Kentucky state Board of Education often talks about how we love and value professional educators across the state. … We consider [them] to be our tribe and our people,” said KBE Chair Lu S. Young.
A group of 36 of the honorees attended a celebratory luncheon immediately following the KBE meeting. After lunch, the educators and their guests were invited to attend one of three breakout sessions to discuss four questions:
- How can the board support more effective educator recruitment and retention efforts?
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How can the board address working conditions?
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Do you feel the breadth of your knowledge and problem-solving skills are utilized in your current roles?
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How can the board make the teaching profession more desirable?
The breakout sessions were led by board members Holly Bloodworth, Sharon Porter Robinson and Young.
Discussion topics in Bloodworth’s group focused on the need for mentorship for teachers, shortening the divide between administrators and teachers, and having administrators more involved in the classroom. Young’s group discussed autonomy in the classroom, the issue of new teachers coming into the profession with little training and the positive aspects of teaching. Porter Robinson’s group emphasized the importance of administration trusting teachers, the idea of giving teachers sabbaticals and the need for legislators and policymakers to visit classrooms.
The 2022-2023 Content Area Educators of the Year included local educators:
- Charlotte Buskill: Newton Parrish Elementary School (Owensboro Independent), Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award;
- Matthew Constant: Owensboro Independent Schools, Kentucky Music Educators Association 2022-2023 Administrator of the Year;
- Kelly Gates: Pride Elementary School (Hopkins County), 2023 Kentucky Elementary School Teacher of the Year;
- Amber Hays: Thelma B. Johnson Early Learning Center (Henderson County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner;
- Matt Henry: Owensboro Independent Schools, Kentucky Society for Technology in Education Impact Technology Support Staff of the Year;
- Victoria Mohon: Christian County High School, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner;
- Mandy Perez: Crittenden County Middle School, 2023 Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year and 2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year;
- Brian Welch: Madisonville North Hopkins High School (Hopkins County), Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching;
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