KINGSPORT — Is your child’s teacher a holder of at least one micro-credential and/or certified proficient with Google tools? If so, he or she may be part of two overlapping groups of educators in Kingsport City Schools. The micro-credential educators in Kingsport City Schools and across Tennessee are in a pilot program of the state Department of Education, which two local educators said is designed to help teachers improve their ability to teach. MICRO-CREDENTIALS Robinson Middle School Language Arts Teacher Rachel Heaton and Director of Professional Learning Stephanie Potter presented a report recently to the Board of Education regarding the KCS Micro-Credential Pilot, now in its second year as a professional development program. In a nutshell: • Micro-credentials are one way teachers can demonstrate professional competencies and provide evidence of outcomes from professional learning. • This pilot program has been conducted by the state to gather feedback and explore avenues for providing more personalized learning for educators across the state. • Within KCS, 26 teachers participated in the pilot, with 26 micro-credentials granted. Potter said the program is digitally based and that participants must demonstrate a particular competency-based skill to apply for a digital badge and that they receive the badge if their credential is approved.