Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, September 22, 2008

Karen Gill, who teaches physics at Henry Clay High School, is among the 2009 Teacher Achievement Award winners. 

The Kentucky Department of Education and Ashland Inc. selected the 24 outstanding educators, who now compete for the Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award. The winner will be announced in October. 

“My guiding philosophy of teaching is that every child deserves the opportunity to develop the skills and abilities necessary to fulfill their highest potential,” Gill said. “Every child is entitled to dream big, and their education should provide them with a solid foundation of abilities upon which to build those dreams.” 

Gill is in her 19^th year of teaching, mostly at Henry Clay; she also taught two years at Tates Creek High School. She is involved with the Lexington Partnership for Workforce Development, the Engineering Pathway, Explorium of Lexington, Newton’s Attic, Habitat for Humanity and the Governor’s Educator Work Group. 

Gill earned a bachelor’s degree in physics, mathematics and education from Transylvania University, a master’s in secondary education from the University of Kentucky, and Rank I from Georgetown College. She also has National Board Certification.

The two dozen Teacher Achievement Award winners will be honored Oct. 22 at the Capitol in Frankfort. Representatives of KDE, the Governor’s Office and Ashland will be on hand to honor them and to recognize the state’s Elementary, Middle and High School Teachers of the Year. From those three finalists, the Kentucky Teacher of the Year will be named. That overall winner will represent the state in the national Teacher of the Year competition. 

The 24 teachers will receive cash awards and framed certificates at the awards ceremony in Frankfort, along with a special luncheon. The three Teachers of the Year will also get custom-designed glassware commemorating their accomplishments. 

This marks the eighth year the Department of Education and Ashland have jointly honored Kentucky educators. Judging was done in August by a panel of veteran educators. Applications included information on the nominees’ teaching philosophies, their teaching experiences and involvement in their communities, as well as letters of recommendation. 

For more details, contact Lisa Y. Gross with the Kentucky Department of Education at (502) 564-2015 or lisa.gross@education.ky.gov.