28 Ky. teachers complete McConnell Center’s Teachers Scholars Program

(July 17, 2014) LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Twenty-eight teachers from across Kentucky have successfully completed the yearlong Teachers Scholars Program through the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center.
28 Ky. teachers complete McConnell Center’s Teachers Scholars Program

Teachers from across the state have successfully completed the Teachers Scholars Program, a professional development program offered by the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. The program includes lectures and seminars led by UofL professors and national experts on themes of government and challenges and opportunities facing democratic society. In addition, Teacher Scholars were given the opportunity to study at Kentucky’s Cumberland Gap and will conclude the program with a weeklong study in Detroit next week.

“The McConnell Center's Teacher Scholar Program is the premier professional development program in the state of Kentucky, in large part because of the quality of teachers who participate year in and year out,” said Trisha Vaughn, coordinator for the program.

The 2013-2014 Teachers Scholars Program focused on major themes from Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic book, Democracy in America, including liberty, equality, community and the future of American democracy. The program offered a total of 11 seminars, totaling 66 hours of professional development, in addition to lectures offered in Detroit.

Teacher Scholars and guests invited to attend the extracurricular trip to Detroit next week will attend lectures, continuing their understanding of American democracy and unique American societal structures. They will also have the opportunity to interact with city leaders and will visit attractions, such as the Henry Ford Museum and Motown.

“These teachers are absolutely committed to developing their personal and professional knowledge because they know that what they learn will inevitably impact the students in their classroom. I would be hard-pressed to find a more intelligent and more selfless group of professionals,” Vaughn said.

The McConnell Center conducts educational programs for teachers, students (both high school and college) and the general public focused on developing a strong knowledge of American history and fostering creative thinking about the possibilities and problems of citizenship in the twenty-first century. The Teachers Scholars Program aims at helping Kentucky teachers address the national problem of declining classroom emphasis on American history and civic education.

“Their continued participation in our programs is testament to the quality of the educational opportunities offered by the McConnell Center,” said Vaughn.

The 28 teachers who completed the Teachers Scholars Program are:

  • Angela Brown, Trimble County High School, Bedford, Ky.
  • Robin Buchanan, Coral Ridge Elementary, Louisville, Ky.
  • Angela Burton, Clark Middle School, Winchester, Ky.
  • Michael Courtney, Gallatin County High School, Warsaw, Ky.
  • Kevin Dailey, Gallatin County High School, Warsaw, Ky.
  • Katie Daly, Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky.
  • Denise Dodge, Coral Ridge Elementary, Fairdale, Ky.
  • Thomas Finke, St. Edmund Campion Academy, Ft. Wright, Ky.
  • Sonya Gardner, Franklin County High School, Frankfort, Ky.
  • Betsy Hall, Owen County High School, Owenton, Ky.
  • Kyle Jones, Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky.
  • Laureen Laumeyer, Meadow View Elementary, Elizabethtown, Ky.
  • Lonnie Lewis, Frankfort Christian Academy, Frankfort, Ky.
  • Aundra Lipscomb, Gavin H. Cochran Elementary School, Louisville, Ky.
  • Sarah B. Cole McIntosh, Louisville Male High School, Louisville, Ky.
  • Dan Morgan, Ballard High School, Louisville, Ky.
  • Howard Muncy, North Laurel High School, London, Ky.
  • Debra Napier, Rosspoint Elementary & Middle School, Baxter, Ky.
  • Janet Sivis-O’Connell, West Jessamine High School, Nicholasville, Ky.
  • Randal Perkins, Westport Middle School, Louisville, Ky.
  • Daniel Pierce, Coral Ridge Elementary, Louisville, Ky.
  • Becky Schild, Gallatin County High School, Warsaw, Ky.
  • Deborah Strubler, Payneville Elementary School, Payneville, Ky.
  • Deborah Thomas, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Louisville, Ky.
  • Carmen Thompson, Elkhorn Middle School, Frankfort, Ky.
  • Steven Welsh, Minors Lane Elementary, Louisville, Ky.
  • Sue Wimsatt, Bullitt East High School, Mt. Washington, Ky.
  • Erin Woodham, Louisville TAPP, Louisville, Ky.