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P.O. Box 147
Georgetown, KY 40324
Georgetown, KY 40324
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KCSS Officers and Steering Committee Members
Kelly Beckett, Executive Director
Andrew Danner, President
Rachael Yaden, Vice President
Claire Gwaltney, Secretary
Andrew Danner, President
Rachael Yaden, Vice President
Claire Gwaltney, Secretary
KCSS Steering Committee Members
Angela Clay
Annabeth Edens
Lauren Gallicchio
Jessica Goodpaster
Eddie Groves
Harmony Hendrick
Rebecca Ingram
Carly Muetterties
Sam Northern
Kevin Presnell
Erik Ransom
Heather Ransom
Kim Sargent
Kimberlee Sharp
Caroline Sheffield
Wayne Stevens
Former Presidents:
Rick Daniel
Glenn Manns
Ryan New
Maddie Shepard
Annabeth Edens
Lauren Gallicchio
Jessica Goodpaster
Eddie Groves
Harmony Hendrick
Rebecca Ingram
Carly Muetterties
Sam Northern
Kevin Presnell
Erik Ransom
Heather Ransom
Kim Sargent
Kimberlee Sharp
Caroline Sheffield
Wayne Stevens
Former Presidents:
Rick Daniel
Glenn Manns
Ryan New
Maddie Shepard
Kelly Beckett, Executive Director
Kelly Beckett is a current middle school social studies teacher in Scott County and has been in public education for eleven years. She is currently enrolled at Morehead State University working toward her Education Specialist Degree in hopes of pursuing her passion of working in education policy and reform. She earned her Masters in Education Leadership and her Bachelors in Elementary Education and Secondary Social Studies Education from Midway University. Her research has focused primarily on inequalities in education and how classroom instruction can greatly reduce those inequalities. She has served on multiple Site Based Decision Making Boards and as a district KEA president while working in Franklin County Schools. She believes in teachers being advocates for their profession, their subject matter, and their students. She is very excited to be involved with KCSS because it allows her to advocate, educate, and inform on all things social studies at the state level.
Andrew Danner, President
Andrew Danner is a proud teacher at Iroquois High School in Louisville, and Doctoral Student at the University of Kentucky. In 12 years as an educator, he’s worked in both Shelby County and Jefferson County as a teacher, Instructional Coach, student teacher mentor, Department Chair, and Professional Development coordinator. He strives to help his students grow into informed an active citizens, as well as opening their minds to the voices and hidden histories that so often go unheard and untold. In addition to his teaching, his professional focus is on both Teacher Development and Curriculum Development. He firmly believe that KCSS has a unique platform to both help teachers grow professionally, as well as be a strong advocate for Social Studies across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and is eager to help move this important work forward.
Rachael Yaden, Vice President
Rachael Yaden has worked for the Lincoln County School District for 15 years. She began her career at the Lincoln County Middle School as a Social Studies teacher. While there, she served as the department chair for eight years. She has also served as a district social studies lead to the state cadres. Mrs. Yaden is a National Board Certified Teacher in Middle Level History/Social Studies. She was named Kentucky Council for the Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 2017. She is currently serving as the Vice President of the Kentucky Council for the Social Studies. She has been blessed to have been a part of multiple competitive immersive history programs, including being a Master Teacher with the White House History Teacher Institute. She has presented at numerous conferences around the state. She has also presented at the National Council for History Education annual conference in Washington, D.C. She will be presenting at the National Council of the Social Studies with her White House History Teacher Institute colleagues in 2021. She transitioned to an instructional coach in 2018 and is currently serving the students and faculty of Lincoln County High School.
Claire E. Gwaltney, Secretary
Claire E. Gwaltney is currently the teacher programs manager at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort. She holds a BA in history from Old Dominion University and an MA in art history with an emphasis on museum education from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Claire has worked in the museum education field for over 8 years at institutions in Virginia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Kentucky. One of her passions is K-12 education, specifically working with teachers, and at KHS she coordinates teacher professional development and outreach. Claire served on the board of the Mississippi Council for the Social Studies for two years and has been involved with KCSS since 2019.
Kelly Beckett is a current middle school social studies teacher in Scott County and has been in public education for eleven years. She is currently enrolled at Morehead State University working toward her Education Specialist Degree in hopes of pursuing her passion of working in education policy and reform. She earned her Masters in Education Leadership and her Bachelors in Elementary Education and Secondary Social Studies Education from Midway University. Her research has focused primarily on inequalities in education and how classroom instruction can greatly reduce those inequalities. She has served on multiple Site Based Decision Making Boards and as a district KEA president while working in Franklin County Schools. She believes in teachers being advocates for their profession, their subject matter, and their students. She is very excited to be involved with KCSS because it allows her to advocate, educate, and inform on all things social studies at the state level.
Andrew Danner, President
Andrew Danner is a proud teacher at Iroquois High School in Louisville, and Doctoral Student at the University of Kentucky. In 12 years as an educator, he’s worked in both Shelby County and Jefferson County as a teacher, Instructional Coach, student teacher mentor, Department Chair, and Professional Development coordinator. He strives to help his students grow into informed an active citizens, as well as opening their minds to the voices and hidden histories that so often go unheard and untold. In addition to his teaching, his professional focus is on both Teacher Development and Curriculum Development. He firmly believe that KCSS has a unique platform to both help teachers grow professionally, as well as be a strong advocate for Social Studies across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and is eager to help move this important work forward.
Rachael Yaden, Vice President
Rachael Yaden has worked for the Lincoln County School District for 15 years. She began her career at the Lincoln County Middle School as a Social Studies teacher. While there, she served as the department chair for eight years. She has also served as a district social studies lead to the state cadres. Mrs. Yaden is a National Board Certified Teacher in Middle Level History/Social Studies. She was named Kentucky Council for the Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 2017. She is currently serving as the Vice President of the Kentucky Council for the Social Studies. She has been blessed to have been a part of multiple competitive immersive history programs, including being a Master Teacher with the White House History Teacher Institute. She has presented at numerous conferences around the state. She has also presented at the National Council for History Education annual conference in Washington, D.C. She will be presenting at the National Council of the Social Studies with her White House History Teacher Institute colleagues in 2021. She transitioned to an instructional coach in 2018 and is currently serving the students and faculty of Lincoln County High School.
Claire E. Gwaltney, Secretary
Claire E. Gwaltney is currently the teacher programs manager at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort. She holds a BA in history from Old Dominion University and an MA in art history with an emphasis on museum education from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Claire has worked in the museum education field for over 8 years at institutions in Virginia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Kentucky. One of her passions is K-12 education, specifically working with teachers, and at KHS she coordinates teacher professional development and outreach. Claire served on the board of the Mississippi Council for the Social Studies for two years and has been involved with KCSS since 2019.