Triumph Through Tragedy, One Student at at Time

The EF-4 tornado that struck Mayfield, Kentucky on the evening of December 10, 2021 caused tremendous destruction to the entire community of Mayfield. Two education professors at a neighboring university sought to help students in the Mayfield Independent School District and were able to do so via funding from a KEEP mini-grant. 81 of their college students were trained in Response to Intervention (RtI) practices and provided individual and small group instruction to students in Mayfield for 2 hours a week for 17 weeks during the 2022-2023 school year. Altogether, struggling students in Mayfield received 1,377 hours of RtI instruction from college students to help them recover academically in the aftermath of a horrific tornado

A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE TRANSITION TO RETIREMENT OF P-20 EDUCATORS IN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY

This phenomenological research study explored the physical, mental, social, emotional, and financial experiences of P-20 educators in their transition from teaching into retirement. A grand tour question and three research questions guided this study. Data collected from interviews with retired educators provided a thorough understanding of the issues experienced during the transition into retirement from the Kentucky public school system. The experiences of recently retired P-20 educators showed that stress was a motivating factor for retirement but not chronic illness, disease, or other serious physical health concerns. Public educators in Kentucky may retire after 27 years of service, and many of the participants in this study retired while still in good health. This study revealed that the absence of workplace activity may well lead to feelings of identity loss, isolation, and a lack of effective time management. The participants expressed a desire for all educators to start preparing earlier for retirement and attend financial planning workshops to ensure a smooth and successful transition into retirement. This research study was not without limitations and further investigation on the topic was recommended