Dr. Brandy Howard, Bullit County Public Schools, Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Brandy Howard serves as the Chief Academic Officer for Bullitt County Public Schools in Kentucky, where she leads district-wide academic strategy, professional learning, instructional coaching, and the development of authentic, high-quality learning aligned to the district’s instructional vision and graduate profile. Her work centers on fostering innovation and learner-centered practices that prepare students for an evolving world.
Before entering the classroom, Dr. Howard served as an Online School and Website Coordinator in Corbin Independent Schools, where she helped launch one of Kentucky’s first online schools. In this role, she coordinated virtual learning, led professional learning, and expanded access to instruction, work that positioned her as a forward-thinking leader in educational technology and innovation.
With over 15 years of experience in education, she has since served as an elementary classroom teacher, instructional coach, and elementary principal in both rural and suburban districts. As principal of Old Mill Elementary, she led a culture of collaboration and innovation that resulted in increased student performance. As an instructional coach at Lebanon Junction Elementary, she supported instructional systems, assessment design, and teacher development. Her early work in the classroom earned her Teacher of the Year honors in 2018 and included leadership roles in professional learning communities and school committees.
Dr. Howard is a statewide leader in innovative education practices. She has contributed to the Kentucky Department of Education’s Blended Learning Module Team, advised national cohorts including the NAESP Innovative Principal Circle, and was inducted into both the KASA Kentucky Women’s Educational Leadership Cohort and the Leadership Institute for School Principals. In 2025, she was appointed Vice Chair of the Kentucky United We Learn (KUWL) Council, where she helps guide state-level transformation efforts in assessment and community-based accountability.
Dr. Howard is also the co-author of Sparking Innovation in Children Through STEM Exploration: A K-8 Teacher’s Guide to Inspiring Future Problem Solvers (Corwin, September 2025). This groundbreaking book introduces the Innov8 Framework—a dynamic, justice-centered roadmap that empowers educators to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and real-world problem solving in every learner.
She earned her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Business Administration from the University of the Cumberlands, where her dissertation focused on year-round education’s impact on student achievement. She also holds an Education Specialist degree from Bellarmine University, a Master of Arts in Literacy from Union College, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Union College. She completed her Superintendent Certification at the University of Kentucky in August 2024.