Kentucky School Advocate

November 2024

The KSBA School Board Member of the Year (BMOY) Award was established in 2021 to honor the exemplary service of association members and to celebrate the critical roles school boards play in the advancement of public education in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. BMOY honorees are those who have made significant contributions to public education through service on their local boards. Given annually, the BMOY Award is presented to an individual board member who: 

• Exemplifies leadership best practices.

• Passionately advocates for needs of his/her district and public education.

• Demonstrates the highest ethical standards and celebrates the values of public service. 

• Actively engages in KSBA training and events.

• Exhibits a keen understanding of district governance and operations.

Nominations for the 2025 award are now open. KSBA encourages districts to consider submitting a board member for the award. All nominations must be submitted online at KSBA.org/BMOY.aspx. It is recommended that you prepare your entry offline before submitting your nomination. The deadline is Dec. 16. 

KSBA is accepting nominations for its annual PEAK Award and the KOSAA KUP Award:

The PEAK Award stands for Public Education Achieves in Kentucky. Since 1997, KSBA has honored 55 programs. Recognition of the winning program helps focus attention across the state on outstanding public school efforts to enhance student learning. The winning program will be highlighted in the Kentucky School Advocate magazine. The deadline to submit a nomination has been extended to Nov. 26. More information at KSBA.org/PEAK.aspx

The KOSAA KUP Award was established in 2022 to honor the exemplary service of members of the Kentucky Organization of Superintendents’ Administrative Assistants and to celebrate the critical roles they play in the advancement of public education. KUP stands for Knowledge, Understanding and Passion. The deadline is Dec. 16. More information at KSBA.org/KOSAAKUP.aspx 

Meredith Brewer has been named associate commissioner in charge of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness.

“I am honored to take on this new role and excited for the opportunity to lead this fantastic team as we continue to support and strengthen our existing educator workforce, while working to inspire the next generation of Kentucky teachers,” she said.

The KDE Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness provides support for developing and improving Kentucky’s educator workforce, with focuses on teacher recruitment, educator preparation programs, certification, professional development and “Grow Your Own” pathways. The office also issues and renews certificates for all Kentucky teachers and administrators.

“I look forward to collaborating closely with the Education Professional Standards Board, building on their successes as we work to maintain the highest standards of excellence in educator preparation and development,” Brewer said.

A native of Centerville, Ohio, Brewer previously served as KDE’s executive director of education policy. Before joining KDE in August 2019, she was the director of the Kentucky Center for Mathematics and a classroom teacher in Texas and Kentucky.

Brewer holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and public relations and a master’s degree in education from Baylor University. She also has a doctorate in educational evaluation and policy from the University of Kentucky.