Next director of instructional programs announced for Bowling Green Independent Schools

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Superintendent Gary Fields announced Darlene Porter as the next director of instructional programs for Bowling Green Independent Schools on Wednesday.

As director of instructional programs, Porter will oversee curriculum and resources for teachers, including standards alignment and reporting for preschool through 12th grade. She will also be responsible for state and federal assessments, multilingual Learner programming, professional learning, grants and the district’s comprehensive improvement planning process.

Fields says, “Darlene has been a great asset to our district leadership team over the past school year, providing support and professional learning opportunities to the faculty and staff. I look forward to working with her more as she transitions to this new role and continues our focus on high quality instruction in every classroom in our district.”

Porter has served as assistant director for instructional programs since 2023, including the roles of district assessment coordinator, gifted and talented coordinator and ASCEND New Teacher Program coordinator. Prior to this role, she held school leadership positions, including assistant principal at Bowling Green Junior High from 2019-2023, dean of students and then assistant principal at Alvaton Elementary from 2015-2019, and curriculum coordinator for Warren County Schools from 2005-2015, with five years each at Briarwood and Alvaton Elementary Schools. She began her career in education in 1998 as a primary teacher at North Warren Elementary.

Porter has a bachelors of science, master of arts and Rank I in administration from Western Kentucky University. She holds certifications in instructional leadership supervisor of instruction and principal, teaching certifications in elementary K-6, as well as endorsements for
teaching mathematics grades 5-8, science grades 5-8 and gifted education K-12, and approval for elementary education program consultant.

She will officially begin on July 1, 2024, following the retirement of Elisa Beth Brown on June 30.