East Knox gifted teacher Keri Campbell readies for retirement after 34 years

HOWARD — Keri Campbell knew she wanted to teach as soon as second grade.

“I just loved her,” Campbell said of her 2nd-grade teacher, Martha Stull. “She made learning fun.”

An East Knox graduate, Campbell remembers Stull sitting in a rocking chair, reading a chapter of the “Bobsie Twins.”

“She became the teacher that I wanted to be,” Campbell said.

Campbell, an East Knox gifted teacher, has been teaching for 34 years and is retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year. She’s been with East Knox for over 25 years.

Campbell teaches 27 gifted students through third and sixth grade. The NWE Map test is an internal district test to judge a student’s academic rating. If a student scores 95% or above on the test, they’re approved for the gifted program, Campbell said.

Campbell is a certified gifted intervention specialist. It’s a program she started in 2019 at Ashland University.

The main goal for Campbell is to provide enrichment and challenge for gifted students. For example, fourth-grade students work on sixth-grade level math problems.

Campbell tries to find interests for every student to match the current learning material. “I try to do activities based on that,” Campbell said. “Try to individualize so they can go at their own pace. I don’t want them to get bored here.”

For reading, Campbell focuses on discussions rather than a multitude of worksheets, advocating for students to voice their opinions about the material.

Everyone has different opinions, and it’s valuable to have conversations that help us understand how others think, Campbell said.

Campbell’s students compete in several competitions like the essay contest, “The Daughters of the American Revolution.”

“I had three students selected in the Mount Vernon Elks Lodge essay contest on what patriotism means to me,” Campbell said.

The goal is to have the student’s interest drive their learning to become well-rounded pupils.

Campbell’s favorite part of teaching gifted kids is seeing them develop throughout the years.

Gifted programming after Campbell retires

With retirement etching closer, Campbell is unsure what the district’s plans are with the gifted program.

“We will definitely ensure there is no break in gifted services to our students,” East Knox superintendent Richard Baird said.

Baird mentioned the “cluster model” as a way to provide educational services for gifted students.

“In this model, gifted students are grouped together in a regular classroom,” Baird said. “The teacher, who has extra training in gifted education, will provide special instruction and support to these students.

“This way, gifted students can learn at a higher level while still being part of their classroom. We have to explore all options.”

Baird stated that the transition from Campbell’s services will depend on the availability of certified gifted teachers and the training of the staff.