Southern Oaks to honor long-time educator Pam Burns | Schools

Pam Burns will be guest of honor at a reception honoring the retiring principal of Southern Oaks Elementary School. The reception is open to friends, family, current and former co-workers from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 6, in the SOES media center. The school is located at 7525 U.S. 431.

Pam Burns is retiring after 32 years of service to students, staff and families of DCPS. She began her career as a fifth-grade teacher at Tamarack Elementary School in 1971. She has also worked at Whitesville, Highland, Philpot, East View and Utica elementary schools, and Daviess County and College View middle schools. Her roles have included service as gifted and talented resource teacher (HES, TES, PES, WES); gifted and talented language arts (DCMS and CVMS); DCPS summer school principal; dean of students (EVES); extended school coordinator (CVMS); assistant principal (CVMS) and principal (UES and SOES). She was named Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year in 1998.

She was named assistant principal at College View Middle School in 1999 and moved to Utica Elementary School as principal in 2002. When that school closed, she moved to Southern Oaks Elementary School in 2008.

Burns has demonstrated an exceptional dedication to professional development. She is a national trainer for the Talents Unlimited Thinking Skills Model. Other areas of professional development have included National Teachers Forum, Kentucky Department of Education Leadership Focus, KDE Grant Reviewer, Kentucky Leadership Academy, Kentucky Teacher Internship Program, Confrature (University of Connecticut), The Institute for Academic Excellence/Reading Renaissance, Junior Great Books, Skills for Adolescence, and School-Based Decision Making Council membership training and principal selection.

Burns has also conducted professional development trainings for peers across the district, state and nation. In addition to Talents Unlimited, she also has facilitated training for teachers and staff developers in the areas of gifted and talented education and differentiated instruction.

She and her husband Allen have three children, Leslie (Kevin) Peveler, Mandy Burns and Ben (Kalyn) Burns; and three grandchildren, Madallyn Peveler, Jake Peveler and Julia Jones.