Owensboro Middle School Special Education teacher Emily Anderson was recently 1 of 10 Kentucky educators selected for the 2023-2024 Innovative Teacher Fellowship program.
Teachers were selected from a pool of applicants from across the state who are a part of the KY Innovative Learning Network (ILN) member districts. KY ILN is a partnership between local school districts and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), providing a shared professional learning space for education leaders.
Anderson is in her 3rd year as a teacher but has been working with students in school for 7 years. She is a special education teacher and collaborates in language arts.
“Being selected for this program means a lot to me. I feel empowered to create innovative learning with my students as well as learn from other educators in the program,” Anderson said. “This program is a good opportunity to learn and grow as an educator. Being able to team up with and collaborate with others in this profession is a win.”
According to a release, educators in this cohort “will craft innovative experiences that connect to the three big ideas of the United We Learn vision: creating vibrant learning experiences, accelerating innovation, and building a bold new future with communities.”
Educators in the Innovative Teacher Fellowship program will be provided professional learning opportunities, teacher leadership opportunities, and innovative project development and implementation ideas to directly impact the learning experiences of Kentucky students.
“I hope to gain insight from this experience and apply what I learn in the classroom as well as with other staff members,” Anderson said. “My goal is to become more innovative in my teaching — the result being able to guide students to create innovative ways to learn and to teach others.
The 2023-2024 Innovative Teacher Fellowship cohort members are:
- Emily Anderson, Owensboro Middle School (Owensboro Independent)
- Tiffany Boggs, McKell Elementary School (Greenup County)
- Jennifer Brown, Menifee Central (Menifee County)
- Elise Carter, Highlands High School (Fort Thomas Independent)
- Brooke Coffman, Shelby County East Middle School
- Leslie Dillon, Ballyshannon Middle School (Boone County)
- Allison George, Picadome Elementary (Fayette County)
- Katie Johnson, Shelby County High School
- Nikki Jolly, Metcalfe County Middle School
- Tobi Sadler, Conkwright Elementary School (Clark County)
