Former Language arts teacher Annette Rouse provided innovative instructional practices with an engaging style that motivated and inspired her students to high levels of achievement at Central Elementary School in Paintsville. Her projects often focus on creating a solution that would make a difference in the community, such as when her class worked with local legislators to write a law to establish a speed limit on rural roads. She initiated the school's Artist-in-Residence Program and helped create its Internal Portfolio program. Mrs. Rouse served with a cadre of teachers to write a nomination for a Blue Ribbon Schools award, which resulted in the school being named among the nation's finest with Blue Ribbon status. She also helped to write the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan for the school. While teaching, Mrs. Rouse's fifth- and sixth-grade reading and language arts classes were consistently ranked among the state's best.
