Louisville, Ky., – Kitty Head, an instructor with Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Adult & Continuing Education, received the 2015 Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award last month during the Commission on Adult Basic Education Conference in Denver. The award recognizes Head as an avid student advocate who reaches students on a personal level to better understand their needs and guide them to the skills and training necessary to reach their individual goals. Head teaches science, social studies, math, and language arts. Information on the JCPS Adult & Continuing Education Program is available at http://adulted4u.com/.
Here is the commission’s biography about Head:
Kitty Head joined the staff at Jefferson County Public Schools Adult Education in 1986. With her 38 years of instructional experience, Kitty is frequently called upon as a contributor for program strategy sessions to best meet student needs and provide resources for her fellow staff members. Always an avid student advocate, Kitty is able to reach students on a personal level to better understand their needs and guide them to skill upgrades and the attainment of individual goals. She currently teaches all four subjects of the GED® including Science, Social Studies, Math, and Language Arts and was instrumental in the development of study packets to help students adjust to the new 2014 GED® series.
Her drive to help others extends outside the classroom as well. Kitty is an active member of her church, taking on various leadership roles including: Eucharistic Minister, Children’s Liturgy of the Word Leader, and HIV/AIDS Parish Leader. She also supports numerous church ministries such as Appalachia mission trips, retreat support, prayer group, and marriage enrichment. Additionally, Kitty spearheaded an after-school tutoring program at the parish school for struggling students. Outside her church home, Kitty volunteers at St. John’s Center, a local day center for homeless men, frequently sharing her knowledge to help with their annual fundraising event. Often merging the needs of her students with community resources, Kitty initiated a local Girl Scout troop’s help with aiding a student and her daughter living in a local shelter. She also became friends with a homeless student, who under Kitty’s guidance, earned his GED® credential. Kitty welcomed the student at her own family’s holiday gatherings and eventually took on more responsibility for him as his health declined. She became his advocate in the end stages of his life and was by his side, still offering support, at his death.
