Elisa Beth Brown, director of instructional programs, to retire from BGISD

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Director of Instructional Programs Elisa Beth Brown has announced she plans to retire at the end of the school year.

According to the district, Brown has served as an administrator in the Bowling Green Independent School District for nine years, first as assistant principal for instruction at Bowling Green High School, and since 2018 at the district office.

In her retirement letter, Brown writes, “Walking out of these doors will be one of the hardest things I have ever done. However, I leave with a profound sense of accomplishment around the work of this district team.”

BGISD says Brown oversees curriculum and resources for teachers, including standards alignment and reporting for preschool through 12th grade. She also is responsible for state and federal assessments, multilingual learner programming, professional learning, grants and the district’s comprehensive improvement plan process. Her leadership, according to the district, has resulted in multiple new initiatives designed to improve student learning, including the nationally-recognized Teranga Academy that opened its doors in 2022.

“Elisa Beth Brown leaves a legacy that will impact teaching and learning in our school district for many years to come. Her leadership, vision, and dedication will continue to inspire educators to provide unparalleled teaching and learning opportunities for our students,” superintendent Gary Fields says.

Brown says, “Reflecting on the work, the experiences, the people that make up the Purple family, I have the deepest gratitude for the journey. I even treasure the memories of the challenges, such as the pandemic and other less fortunate moments. Those moments forged a team that has been able to accomplish so much together.”

Brown started her teaching career in 1995 at Adairville Elementary, where she taught a multi-age classroom with kindergarten through third grade students. She spent 1997-2004 at Auburn Elementary teaching grades two through four while also serving as a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Mentor and earning the school several grants.

From 2004-2006, Brown served as a district literacy coach for Logan County Schools, including the implementation of the Reading First Grant at Chandler’s Elementary School. In 2006, Brown was named principal of Chandler’s Elementary School in Logan County, where she remained until 2013 when she joined the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative as a program manager. At GRREC, she was responsible for specific projects within the kidFRIENDLy grant, as well as serving as the liaison for coordination of grant services. She also served as the program manager overseeing College and Career Readiness Center Services, supervising 24 College and Career Readiness Counselors in the GRREC and Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative. In July 2015, she was named assistant principal for instruction and achievement at Bowling Green High School and was hired in 2018 as Bowling Green’s director of instructional programs.

Brown’s retirement from Bowling Green Independent Schools will be effective starting June 30.