Mayfield teacher elected KEA president

Former EKU KEA SP president rises to the top

This from the Richmond Register:

“Madison County is losing a great teacher,” said Richard Lowe, principal at Mayfield Elementary School. “She really cares about kids — and it shows.”

Stephanie Winkler, fourth- and fifth-grade science teacher at Mayfield, was elected president of the Kentucky Education Association, the largest professional association in Kentucky.

KEA’s 42,000 members include teachers and classified employees; retired educators; and pre-service teachers working to earn Kentucky teaching certificates.

Winkler was elected Thursday by delegates to the 141st KEA Delegate Assembly in Louisville.

She and KEA vice president-elect Lisa Petrey-Kirk of Anderson County will take office on June 15 and serve three-year terms.

“Being elected KEA President has been a professional goal of mine for years,” Winkler said. “It will afford me the opportunity to advocate for students and employees in our public schools in much broader way.

“The Madison County community will now have ‘one of their own’ in Frankfort helping to ensure that our public schools receive the best funding, resources and infrastructure available for students to continue receiving a first-class education every day.”

Winkler, who earned her teaching certificate from Eastern Kentucky University in 1996 and her master’s degree in 2000, has been teaching for 16 years.

She joined the KEA Student Program while at EKU and was state KEA SP president during the 1994-95 school year. She has served as president of the Madison County Education Association and of the 20-county KEA Central District. She also is a member of the KEA board of directors.

“In my time here, her commitment to children has always been obvious as is her commitment to our educators and staff,” said Madison County Schools Superintendent Tommy Floyd. “For Stephanie, it’s about an educated Kentucky, and she will excel in this role.”