“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?  

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 include: 

• Rebecca Brewer: Norton Commons Elementary School (Jefferson County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Matthew Bryant: South Warren High School (Warren County), Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching; 
• Ashley Buchanon: Rockfield Elementary School (Warren County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Keva Buckley: Kentucky School for the Deaf, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Charlotte Buskill: Newton Parrish Elementary School (Owensboro Independent), Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award; 

• Pam Caudill: Thomas More College (Kenton County), Kentucky World Language Association Lifetime Achievement Award; 
• Rob Clayton: Warren County, 2022-2023 Kentucky and National Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of School Superintendents; 
• Sharon Collins: Warren East Middle School (Warren County), Kentucky Association for Career and Technical Education’s Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award; 
• Margaret Collin-Smith: Greenwood High School (Warren County), Kentucky World Language Association’s Outstanding Rising Star Teacher 2022-2023; 

• Cathy Conley: Knott County Central High School, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Matthew Constant: Owensboro Independent Schools, Kentucky Music Educators Association 2022-2023 Administrator of the Year; 
• Angela Dilts-Pollock: Farnsley Middle School (Jefferson County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• David Fonda: Camargo Elementary School (Montgomery County), Kentucky Music Educators Association 2022-2023 Elementary School Teacher of the Year; 
• Brandon Forshey: Summit View Academy (Kenton County), Earle C. Clements Innovation in Education Award for Civics and History Teachers; 

• Kelly Gates: Pride Elementary School (Hopkins County), 2023 Kentucky Elementary School Teacher of the Year; 
• Angela Gott: Western Kentucky University (Warren County), Kentucky Association for Career and Technical Education Teacher Educator of the Year 2022; 
• Nathaniel Green: Newport High School (Newport Independent), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Eddie Groves: Ohio County High School, Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Amanda Guzik: Lyon County High School, Kentucky Association for Career and Technical Education 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; 
• Tina Henry: Boyle County High School, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Danielle Hicks: Clinton County Middle School, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Sandra Hogue: Jefferson County Schools, Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts Administrator of the Year; 

• Shannon Kay: New Haven Elementary School (Boone County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Robin Kemp: Highlands High School (Fort Thomas Independent), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Heather LeBlanc: Gallatin County Schools, Kentucky Education Support Staff Professional Award; 
• Brandi Lee: Grayson County Schools, Kentucky Association for Career and Technical Education Counseling and Career Development Professional Award; 
• Erica Lewis: Coventry Oak Elementary School (Fayette County), 2022-2023 Kentucky Counselor of the Year; 
• Clint Litzinger: Bracken County Middle School, Kentucky Society for Technology in Education Impact Teacher of the Year; 
• Jordan Manley: STEAM Academy (Fayette County), Kentucky Society of Health and Physical Educators 2023 National High School Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award;

• Ben Maynard: Kentucky Department of Education Kentucky Society for Technology in Education Making IT Happen Award; 
• Heather Miller: Graves County High School, Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts High School Teacher of the Year; 

• Dennis Minnis: North Bullitt High School (Bullitt County), Kentucky Society of Health and Physical Educators High School Physical Education (9-12) Teacher of the Year; 
• Justin Mitchell: Frankfort-Simpson Middle School (Simpson County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Victoria Mohon: Christian County High School, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Benjamin Molberger: Atherton High School (Jefferson County), Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching; 
• Julie Moore: School for Creative and Performing Arts at Bluegrass (Fayette County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Ryan New: Jefferson County, Meece Award; 
• Lauren Niemann: Fern Creek High School (Jefferson County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 

• Ke Peng: Western Kentucky University, Kentucky World Language Association’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year 2022-2023; 
• Mandy Perez: Crittenden County Middle School, 2023 Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year and 2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year; 
• Thomas Poole: South Warren High School (Warren County), 2022 National New Career and Technical Teacher of the Year; 
• Jeremy Renner: Jefferson County Schools, Kentucky World Language Association 2022-2023 Outstanding Administrator of the Year; 

• Melinda Richardson: Clay City Elementary School (Powell County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• DJ Riggs: Breckinridge County, Kentucky Society of Health and Physical Educators Elementary Physical Education (K-5) Teacher of the Year; 
• Lisa Salyer: Johnson County Schools, Kentucky Society for Technology in Education’s Impact Leader of the Year; 
• Amber Sergent: Woodford County High School, 2023 Kentucky High School Teacher of the Year; 
• Christi Shores: Bowling Green Junior High School (Warren County), Kentucky Music Educators Association’s 2022-2023 Middle School Teacher of the Year; 

• Rhonda Simpson: LaRue County, 2022 Outstanding Special Education Administrator of the Year; 
• Shiloh Stanley: Paint Lick Elementary School (Garrard County), Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children’s Special Education Teacher of the Year; 
• Steven Thomas: Green County Area Technology Center, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner;  
• Cassandra Walden: East Bernstadt Elementary School (East Bernstadt Independent), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Brian Welch: Madisonville North Hopkins High School (Hopkins County), Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching; 

• Tiffany Whaley: Mayfield Middle School (Mayfield Independent), Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts Middle School Teacher of the Year; 
• Timothy Wheeler: Lincoln County Middle School, Outstanding Principal of the Year 2022; 
• Rhoda Whitaker: Whitesburg Middle School (Letcher County), 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Charlena Williams: Hancock County Middle School, 2023 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner; 
• Michael Wright: Calloway County Day Treatment Center, Kentucky Education Support Staff Professional Award; 
• Kara Young: Barrett Middle School (Jefferson County), Kentucky Society of Health and Physical Educators Teacher of the Year 2022-2023; and 
• Tim Zeiss: Murray High School (Calloway County), Kentucky Music Educators Association’s 2022-2023 High School Teacher of the Year.