WKU News

The Kentucky Education Association (KEA) is raising awareness of the tireless efforts and dedication of public educators across the Commonwealth and inviting the general public to join them in the effort.

Despite the critical role that these educators play in shaping the future of Kentucky, they frequently face challenges such as low salaries, limited resources (textbooks, overhead-projectors, or materials), and ever-increasing demands in the classroom. This has led to a common pattern of underappreciation among educators in the state of Kentucky and a statewide educator shortage that has reached a critical point.

In response, KEA is launching the “Difference Makers” campaign to promote the invaluable contributions of public-school educators.

To get the message out, KEA has enlisted the services of Imagewest, the student-run ad agency at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, to shed light on the dedication, passion, and expertise that public school educators bring to their classrooms every day.

“This campaign is about shining a light on the value of public education,” said KEA President Eddie Campbell,” so it made perfect sense to have actual students – the products of public education – craft the messages.” Imagewest staff members Sotheary Chem (’24) and Sadie Molina-Lopez (’24) led creative efforts on the campaign.

"Educators deserve respect for their professional work,” said Campbell. ”Whether that's in the classroom, on a bus, as an administrator, in the cafeteria, or in any other role that supports student learning.”

The Difference Makers campaign will highlight stories of outstanding public-school educators who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of their students. As a key element of the campaign, KEA invites all Kentucky residents—current students or past—to   join in to celebrate and support public educators by submitting their nominations for “Difference Maker of the Month” at KEA.org.

KEA works closely with policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders to advocate for policies that prioritize the needs of public-school teachers, students, and their communities and advocates for the resources and support they need to  succeed.

For more information about KEA and its initiatives, visit KEA.org

Contact: David Patterson, dpatterson@kea.org, (502) 229-3000; or Sotheary Chem, sotheary.chem053@topper.wku.edu, (615) 513-1342.