(FRANKFORT, KY) – Jennifer Montgomery, the 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, encouraged members of the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Teachers Advisory Council (TAC) to share their stories during the TAC meeting on March 11.
Montgomery, who said stories have power, shared some of her own story about how she was inspired to teach in rural schools because of her childhood experience in rural Kentucky.
Montgomery grew up in a three-room cabin in rural Trimble County, with no running water or telephone service. Her family had to drive 20 miles to retrieve water from a well and they bathed in a metal horse trough. She shared a room with two brothers until she was in the 6th grade.
She said those struggles were difficult at the time, but they helped shape her into the teacher she is today.
“These (struggles) taught me that resources, like water, are precious,” Montgomery said. “They taught me to cultivate a mindset of gratitude. And most importantly, I learned that where you come from does not limit who you can become.”
Montgomery said she learned not to be limited by her beginning because she had teachers who encouraged her to dream big. She has been teaching in small rural schools for 23 years, helping teach students those same lessons she was taught.
Montgomery is on a six-month sabbatical with KDE as the Kentucky Teacher of the Year. Part of her duties are to help in KDE’s efforts to grow, strengthen and diversify the state’s educator workforce.
She said her main message to students and teachers is that their individual stories matter because they, as people, matter. She encouraged TAC members to cultivate relationships with their students because teaching is all about connection. She invited TAC members and anyone they know to share their life stories and how they became teachers with her, because she wants to highlight other educators’ stories.
TAC member Kevin Dailey, a teacher in Boone County and the 2024 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, thanked Montgomery for sharing and encouraging other teachers.
“I’m so glad that you get to share not only your story, but you get to share stories of other great Kentucky educators,” Dailey said.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Cristy Tomes, program consultant for KDE’s Division of Student Success, gave a Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) report. PBIS is a tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, and social, emotional and mental health. Schools give rewards to students for positive behavior.
In response to how schools can reward students with a limited budget, Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher said schools could partner with local businesses for free or discounted outings or have events in school as rewards.
Tomes encouraged TAC members to apply for recognition that they are applying PBIS standards with fidelity, which recognizes schools for their efforts in PBIS programs. She shared information about the schoolwide PBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory, which measures the extent to which schools are applying the features of PBIS.
People can email Tomes for more information on the program.
In other news:
- Cassie Trueblood from KDE’s Office of Legal Services shared a legislative update on education measures being discussed in the Kentucky General Assembly.
- Dailey, who is on the Kentucky Milken Educators committee and is a 2021 Milken Educator Award winner, shared that they are putting together a free, publicly-available professional learning opportunity each month for educators. The first learning opportunity will be March 20 at 8 a.m. ET. For more information, people can email Dailey.
The TAC’s next meeting will be June 10.
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