Kentucky School Advocate
September 2023

Morgan named superintendent of the year
Teresa Morgan, superintendent of Hardin County Schools, was named Superintendent of the Year by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA). She received the award at KASA’s Annual Leadership Institute in Louisville in July.

“I humbly accept this award in honor of our more than 14,000 students and 2,700 staff members,” Morgan said. “Our HCS family is truly dedicated to the betterment of students and helping them succeed at every level. Our students and families work hard to ensure success. I’m honored to be a part of such a fantastic district in such a fantastic community.”

Morgan has spent her entire 35-year career in Hardin County Schools. Before being named superintendent in 2016, she served as director of elementary curriculum and instruction.The award recognizes and honors Kentucky’s superintendents for the contributions they make every day advocating for public education, children and the future. The award criteria includes: leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community involvement.

“We are very thankful to have Terrie as our superintendent,” said Hardin County Board of Education Chair Dawn Johnson. “Words can’t describe how proud we are of her every day, but especially today. Earning the (award) cements her legacy in Hardin County and across the state. This confirms what we already know – Terrie Morgan is the best of the best.”

Morgan is the third female superintendent of Hardin County to have been named Superintendent of Year, joining previous recipients Lois Gray and Nannette Johnson.

Morgan will be Kentucky’s representative for the National Superintendent of the Year award from the American Association of School Administrators.

Education and workforce data summit to be held
The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) invites educators and education advocates to its Beyond ’23: KYSTATS Data Summit on Sept. 28 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville.

The conference is free. The event will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m., with a reception directly following. During the event, attendees will hear from the KYSTATS team and partners, national data experts and state policymakers about current findings on education and workforce outcomes through the current data infrastructure and the Kentucky Longitudinal Data System, and what it could look like Beyond 2023.

Registration is limited to the first 300 attendees and is available at bit.ly/Kystats.  

Illness closes three eastern Ky. school districts
Just two weeks after the school year began, at least three Kentucky school districts closed to in-person instruction due to illness.

Lee County Schools, which started classes on Aug. 8, closed Aug. 22 and 23 and held non-traditional instruction days on Aug. 24 and 25.

Superintendent Earl Ray Shuler said that on Aug. 21 the district had an 81% attendance rate with 157 students out sick. The illnesses included COVID, flu, strep and pneumonia.

Jenkins Independent Schools, which started classes on Aug. 9, closed school on Aug. 23 and 24 due to illness. The district was already scheduled to be closed Aug. 25.

Magoffin County Schools was also closed due to illness on Aug. 24 and 25.

The Kentucky River District Health Department was seeing an increase in COVID in August throughout its seven-county region, said Public Health Director Scott Lockard.

KBE approves call to action
The Kentucky Board of Education voted to approve a call to action at its Aug. 21 meeting. The 14-page document is a value statement that incorporates the board’s initiatives including United We Learn, a statewide Portrait of a Learner and creating an inclusive learner experience.

The board said the document serves several purposes; primarily, it will be a touchstone for the KBE to ensure future KBE actions align with the established values for the future of assessment and accountability in Kentucky. Additionally, the document will be used as a communication and advocacy tool by KBE members.

The document can be viewed at bit.ly/KBEcalltoaction.