Last Updated on Saturday, January 05, 2008 at 10:01 PM
News Release 07-034 - May 23, 2007
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – Fifteen Kentucky educators will serve as new Highly Skilled Educators (HSEs), joining the 31 currently helping low-performing schools raise the achievement of their students, the Kentucky Department of Education announced today.
The 15 are from school districts across the state. They will participate in rigorous training this summer and will be assigned to schools needing assistance this fall. HSEs serve for two years, during which they are granted leaves of absence from their home school districts.
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Karen Branham -- Elizabethtown Independent; interim principal, Morningside Elementary
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Latonya Meekins -- Fayette County; curriculum coach, Edythe J. Hayes Middle
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Matt Perkins -- Fayette County; principal, Cardinal Valley Elementary
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Anna Shepherd -- Floyd County; curriculum coordinator, Allen Central High
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Cynthia Lawson -- Frankfort Independent; principal, Second Street School
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Maurice Chappell -- Franklin County; director of middle/high curriculum and instruction, central office
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Renee Bledsoe -- Jefferson County; teacher, Layne Elementary
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LaMesa Marks-Johns -- Jefferson County; teacher, Shacklette Elementary
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Adrian Oldham-Rhodes -- Jefferson County; instructional coach, Wheatley Elementary
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Jennifer Wilt -- Jefferson County; instructional coach, Gheens Academy
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Rick Culross -- Kenton County; principal, Simon Kenton High
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Greg Napier -- Pike County; teacher, Shelby Valley High
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Tammy Corum -- Russellville Independent; curriculum specialist, R.E. Stevenson Elementary
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Jim Masters -- Scott County; assistant principal, Georgetown Middle
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Shannon Coyle -- Shelby County; school achievement advocate, central office/Shelby East Middle
To become Highly Skilled Educators, applicants meet the following criteria:
· Kentucky certification as an educator
· a minimum of five years of successful experience as a teacher or educational administrator
· involvement in teaching or administration within the last three years
While serving, HSEs remain employees of their home districts. The Kentucky Department of Education signs a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the HSEs' home districts on an annual basis. MOAs are renewable for a second year and may be renewable for a third year.
HSEs continue to receive their salaries, with no loss of benefits, through their home school districts. HSEs receive 135 percent of their current daily salaries for 240 days of employment. The additional 35 percent is not calculated into retirement benefits. Currently, beginning salaries for HSEs are capped at $90,000.
Since 1990, the Highly Skilled Educators program (known as the Distinguished Educator program until 1998) has identified and trained more than 350 educators to work with schools identified by the state assessment and accountability program as being in need of assistance.
The HSEs provide a number of services to schools:
- assessing the needs of the school/district, including analysis of test data and the Kentucky Scholastic Audit Report
- leading the School Improvement Team in amending the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan
- assuring a focused use of Commonwealth School Improvement Funds within the school's budget
- providing professional development
Approximately 95 percent of schools served by Distinguished or Highly Skilled Educators have risen out of the assistance category by the end of two years of support.
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