Stephanie Phillips, a family consumer sciences teacher at Paul Blazer High School in Ashland, has been appointed to serve as a non-voting teacher member of the Kentucky Board of Education, according to the Kentucky Teacher publication.

Phillips will serve a one-year term from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, representing Kentucky's classroom teachers on the statewide board. As a non-voting member, she will participate in board discussions and meetings but will not have voting authority on policy decisions.

The Kentucky Board of Education is responsible for developing and adopting regulations that govern Kentucky's 171 public school districts and the actions of the Kentucky Department of Education. The board comprises 15 members total, with 11 voting members appointed by the governor and four non-voting members, including a teacher, a high school student, the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, and the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet.

Phillips joins the board as part of Kentucky's effort to increase teacher representation in state education policy decisions. Non-voting teacher members are required to attend regular board meetings, typically held in Frankfort, and invest substantial time reviewing agenda materials and handling other board-related business. Paul Blazer High School, part of the Ashland Independent School District, serves approximately 820 students in grades 9-12.