Seventeen Kentucky educators will serve as new Highly Skilled Educators (HSEs) for the 2009-10 school year, joining the 26 continuing individuals currently helping low-performing schools raise the achievement levels of their students, the Kentucky Department of Education announced.
Linda Black, curriculum specialist, from New Haven Elementary was selected for Boone County’s school district.
The 17 are from school districts across the state. They will participate in rigorous training this summer and will be assigned to schools needing assistance this fall.
HSEs serve for up to three years, during which they are granted leaves of absence from their home school districts.
To become Highly Skilled Educators, applicants meet the following criteria:
Kentucky certification as an educator a minimum of five years of successful experience as a teacher or educational administrator involvement in teaching or administration within the last three years.
While serving, HSEs remain employees of their home districts. The Kentucky Department of Education signs a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the HSEs' home districts on an annual basis. MOAs are renewable for a second year and may be renewable for a third year.
HSEs continue to receive their salaries, with no loss of benefits, through their home school districts. HSEs receive 135 percent of their current daily salaries for 235 days of employment.
The additional 35 percent is not calculated into retirement benefits. Currently, beginning salaries for HSEs are capped at $107,000.
Since 1990, the Highly Skilled Educators program (known as the Distinguished Educator program until 1998) has identified and trained more than 365 educators to work with schools identified by the state assessment and accountability program as being in need of assistance.
Approximately 95 percent of schools served by Distinguished or Highly Skilled Educators have risen out of the assistance category by the end of two years of support.
