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Monthly Newsletter
March 2023
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Message From Audrey Gilbert
Our second Kentucky United We Learn Council convening is quickly approaching and I am excited for us to gather and discuss the work that has been happening!
The three standing committees have been working hard to achieve their big hairy audacious goals. Our members have learned about new opportunities and initiatives, and the council is ready to take the next step toward the future of education in Kentucky.
Our convening will be an eventful two days of learning from the field. Of particular interest, we will have a panel of practitioners who will help us brainstorm new ways to work together, and connect our goals and work to a common purpose.
Get excited for April!
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Updates from our Committees
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Vibrant Learning Experiences Chair Justin Dunning presented the committee with nomination and voting information regarding the election of a new Kentucky United We Learn Council chair and vice chair.
The committee also discussed site visits, which was the group's most requested method of learning about vibrant student experiences. Members will have the opportunity to participate in site visits to Marshall County and Eminence Independent.
In response to committee members’ request to also learn from national organizations, Sarah McCann, project manager for The Canopy Project, joined the meeting to introduce members to the database as a resource for exploring innovative schools and practices across the U.S.
The committee will meet again at the next Kentucky United We Learn Council convening on April 25.
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The Bold New Future meeting focused on a general overview of the work required under various grants, specifically the Competitive Grants for State Assessments program, and the role that partners such as KnowledgeWorks and statewide Kentucky partners have played and will play in this work.
The meeting then transitioned to a discussion of the United We Learn report’s themes and recommendations. Committee members discussed the importance of honoring the work that went into developing the report and ensuring that the committee's work aligns to the spirit of its vision.
The committee will meet again at the next Kentucky United We Learn Council convening on April 25.
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The Kentucky United We Learn Council’s Accelerating Innovation Standing Committee met virtually on Wednesday, March 8. The committee charter was finalized and adopted in a unanimous vote. Committee members presented information they collected on assessment and accountability systems from inside and outside Kentucky.
Following presentations, committee members considered design principles that originated from the research and discussed non-negotiables to be reflected in any future recommendations from the committee. Finally, members discussed the four habits of the Kentucky United We Learn Council, reciprocity, inclusion, empathy and co-creation.
The committee will meet again at the next Kentucky United We Learn Council convening on April 25.
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Watch a livestream of the meetings via the
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Meet the Council Members
Aaron Thompson
Aaron Thompson is a passionate advocate for higher education. As a first-generation college student from rural Kentucky, Thompson experienced the power of a college credential. As president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), he works to ensure all Kentuckians have an equal opportunity to improve their lives through education.
Thompson served as an interim university president; CPE executive vice president; and provost, faculty, and administrator at Eastern Kentucky University. He has leadership experience within the private and nonprofit sectors. Thompson has authored numerous books and publications and was recently inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
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Susan Dugle
Committee: Vibrant Learning Experiences
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Susan Dugle is a retired educator from Shelbyville, where she served 30 years as an elementary teacher, school administrator, curriculum specialist and chief academic officer. During her time in Shelby County Public Schools, the community developed the Profile of a Graduate. As a lifelong member of the Shelby County community, Dugle continues to serve the local education community and the Commonwealth through leadership coaching and support.
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Bentley White
Committee Vice Chair: Bold New Future
Bentley White is a junior at the Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD). White has been a member of KDE's Commissioner's Student Advisory Council for the past two years. As part of that council, he has worked with the Office of Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman on her Student Mental Health Initiative, advocating for mental health supports for students, faculty and staff alike.
White also is a member of his school's Academic Team, as well as the president of KSD's FFA Chapter. Upon graduation he plans to attend university and get a master's degree in political science, with a minor in international studies/relations, with a strong interest in social welfare. White plans to get involved with government and/or politics.
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Sarah Hatton
Committee Co-Chair: Accelerating Innovation
Sarah Hatton is the director of secondary instruction for Adair County Schools. Her 22-year public education career includes 15 years of classroom teaching experience at both the elementary and middle school levels, and seven years as a school administrator in both Logan and Edmonson County Schools.
Hatton holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in library media science from Western Kentucky University; Rank I and principal certifications from Asbury University; and is currently completing superintendent certification at the University of the Cumberlands. She is a graduate of Logan County High School and resides in Bowling Green with her husband and their four children.
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Susan R. Strange
Strategic Plan Program Manager
Strategic Planning & Research
Office of the Commissioner
CGSA Project Manager
Division of Innovative Learning
Office of Continuous Improvement and Support
Phone: (502) 564-2002, ext. 4014
Email: susan.strange@education.ky.gov
300 Sower Blvd. – 5th floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
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