Dear friends,
As a part of the close-knit community of Teach Kentucky, I want to share an important personal decision with you. After 25 amazing years, I am officially stepping down as CEO of TKY this upcoming fall. I am informing you in advance of the release of this news because you are my community. I wanted you to know first.
With that, I hope to express in this short letter three powerful emotions.
The first is humble pride in the achievements of the Teach Kentucky organization that I have been privileged to lead over the last 25 years.
It gives me great satisfaction that Teach Kentucky has been able to launch 560 education careers in greater Louisville, with over 240 teachers still working and living in Kentucky. They fill essential classrooms, primarily in high needs content areas (STEM, ESL, and Special Education).
Second is gratitude for all those individuals and institutions who have contributed to creating Teach Kentucky. I am grateful to our Board Members, Retired Teacher Advocates, and countless volunteers who welcomed new teachers to Louisville. To our major foundation donors, James Graham Brown, CE&S, and Gheensas well as countless individual givers. Our university partners, Asbury, Spalding, and the University of Louisville, are critical to establishing an alternative route pathway to a master’s degree and thus a teaching career. To AmeriCorps and Class Act, who provide financial support to participants. Finally, to JCPS as a strategic partner in placing and nurturing our new teachers.
Most importantly, however, I want to express my deep appreciation for our teachers and for their trust in this community. They have given their most precious asset, their future, to this profession and to this community. Recruited from 47 states and 310 different colleges and universities, they bring high hopes for their students, and we have high expectations for the ongoing impact of their work in public education. You are my inspiration!
Through the dedication of many people, we have built structures of support for our new teachers. But at the end of the day, it is the perseverance and hard work of our teachers that make the difference. Each new teacher instructs approximately 80 or more students daily, helping to shape their academic acumen, character, and ultimately, future. An entire village has been built to fulfill this remarkable and necessary vision.
Then there is also the grand serendipity of numerous weddings over two decades and dozens of “Kentucky breed” children.
Through the collective investment of time and treasure, we have created a novel program model that is unique in our nation. It provides extraordinary financial support for participants, opening access to a dynamic education profession for first-generation and underserved teachers. Coupled with practical support assures new teachers can launch their careers with confidence.
I am hopeful for the next quarter-century of Teach Kentucky. May it continue the work of recruiting and supporting bright and energetic new teachers who are committed to making a difference in the lives of their students.
I hope to continue to play some small role in that future. The needs of our society prove that the work of Teach Kentucky must go on, so that we can fill our classrooms with the best teachers available from across the country.
While it is bittersweet to leave the senior leadership role, I am excited for a new leader to step in and take what we have done and make it even better and more impactful. I look forward to working with my successor to achieve this destiny. I thank each and everyone of you who have made Teach Kentucky so special and who have supported me through these many years.
Gratefully,
Rowan Claypool
P.S. I will still see you at omelets at the farmers’ market on Saturdays.
