LAWRENCE COUNTY TEACHER RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE
LCHS Media Special for the Lazer
January 17, 2019
Lawrence County High School instructor Scott Osborn was honored by the Kentucky Council of Teachers of English as the 2019 High School Teacher of the Year. He was congratulated by Superintendent Dr. Fletcher and his colleagues upon notification of the award. On February 22, the veteran LCHS teacher will be recognized during a banquet at the KCTE Annual Conference in Lexington, Kentucky.
“I am humbled,” Osborn said of the award. “I can only say that it’s because of my colleagues and my students that I have received this recognition. I’ve been blessed to have been able to teach at this high school in this community. Truly, it just humbles me; I’m just grateful to have this career where I get to work with such wonderful educators and these exceptional students.”
Mr. Osborn also feels that any praise he receives is reflective of his family. “My brother is an outstanding Gifted Educator–and union rep–back home in Louisiana,” he explained. “Our father was a science teacher. I’ve got a brother-in-law who teaches middle-school social studies. So I’m just surrounded by educators; it’s integral to who I am.”
This isn’t Osborn’s first accolade. After only five years in the field he was recognized as an Outstanding Educator by the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program; upon receiving that honor, Mr. Osborn taught in the GSP at Eastern Kentucky University for several years. For his service in that capacity, Mr. Osborn was named a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Paul Patton. Over the years, Mr. Osborn has received several other awards and honors recognizing his commitment to his students and his profession.
“I’d like to point out how many incredible teachers we have in this district,” he added. “We have several Nationally Certified teachers, such as Craig and Kara Brown, Andrea Riffe, Melissa Blackburn, and Summer Brown, just to name a few. And I teach here in the same high school as a former Kentucky Social Studies Teacher of the Year, David Prince, as well as a state Marketing Teacher of the Year, Romana Short. We have extraordinary people here.”
Dr. Brent Heuser served as Osborn’s supervisor at the National Advanced Placement English scoring sessions for several years. “I’m not surprised he’s been awarded this honor at all, “ said Dr. Heuser. “Scott is definitely passionate about English, about his students, and about the whole education profession. He is devoted to his students and his craft; he’s always working on some new teaching angle throughout the summer and the school year, performing research and networking with colleagues in order to improve student outcomes.”
“You’ll also never meet anyone who loves rhetoric and literature more,” Heuser added. “Those subjects have come to take on extremely negative connotations, but Professor Osborn is dedicated to teaching and promoting them in their best forms. He knows the power of reading and writing–the value of the communication and preservation of ideas–and how essential literacy is to the maintaining of a healthy democracy. If you look at the state of our current democracy, you realize how badly we need more educators like him.”
Mr. Osborn served in the United States Marine Corps as a tank commander. “They tagged me as a teacher in the Corps, too,” he shared. “I was a Unit Conduct-Of-Fire Trainer, so I taught tank gunnery and armor battlefield tactics. It was a lot different from teaching English,” he joked, “but it was still good teaching experience. Teaching is teaching!”
The former Marine is also known for his passionate defense of public education as an officer in the Kentucky Education Association. Osborn makes full use of social media and face-to-face opportunities to advance the cause; he was also active in several of the rallies and demonstrations in Frankfort during last year’s legislative session. He promised more action soon.
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Mr. Osborn has taught for twenty-four years, spending most of his career at Lawrence County High School, where he currently teaches seniors in English IV and College English courses. He also teaches a popular course in film.
In addition, he serves as an AP English Reader, an EFTours Student Travel Leader, LCHS School Writing Leader, and the President of the Lawrence County Organization of Teachers.
When asked to reflect on what this award means to him, Osborn had this to say: “As I said, I’m humbled. I know a lot of teachers who are more creative, who work just as hard as I do—if not harder, and who care just as deeply as I do about their students. I just want to take this opportunity to praise all of my colleagues in education, and to call attention to our plight. The teaching profession is entering a crisis phase, where people are leaving it in droves because of the negative pressures and unfair criticisms being applied against it. We are constantly being asked to do more with less resources—and for less pay. I want the public to know that we are in it for these kids, but that we have our own student loans hanging over our heads, and our own bills to pay—as well as our own children to put through school! The teaching profession is constantly under attack, making it hard to attract and retain quality applicants; at the current rate, it will only be a decade or so until most school districts will not be able to attract enough qualified teachers to educate their students. This is a crisis that must be addressed now—not later.”
“That being said”, Osborn stated, “I am still grateful to be teaching, and I feel blessed to still be here in the Lawrence County School District. I am proud to be an Eastern Kentuckian, and I am proud to be a Bulldog.”
I worked with him for years, and he taught my children. He deserves this award and ,like all good teachers, he deserves a huge increase in salary.
A well deserved honor for a dedicated and passionate educator! I have worked with Mr Osborne during his entire tenure at LCHS and I’ve witnessed his love of education shine through all he does and through those he has taught! Congratulations and well done my Friend!