Kentucky Teacher

As required by the United States Department of Education (USDOE), Kentucky is submitting guidelines for local teacher and principal evaluation and support systems and any amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s (ESEA’s) waiver Principle 3: Supporting Effective Instruction and Leadership.

This requirement is related to Kentucky’s receipt of flexibility under the ESEA/No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The guidelines and proposed amendments will undergo peer review by USDOE this summer.

To see the document containing the guidelines and proposed amendments click here, and scroll to the the bottom of the page. The public is encouraged to comment, and comments may be sent to Mary Ann Miller at maryann.miller@education.ky.gov by close of business on Friday, July 6. Comments will be passed on to USDOE as well as considered by KDE as we finalize the amendments to Principle 3 during this summer’s peer review.

Paula Roberts

Paula Roberts, assistant superintendent for the Owensboro Independent school district, describes herself as a “behind-the-scenes kind of gal.”

But she’s definitely been noticed for her leadership and dedication. Roberts is Kentucky Teacher’s July Leader of the Month.

“My main role is to support principals with whatever they need to help them create great learning environments in their schools,” Roberts said. “This includes helping with staffing and budgeting, locating and sharing quality instructional resources, and providing high-quality professional development.”

Roberts has served in the same district since 1989, first as a teacher, then as an assistant principal and principal at Owensboro Middle School. In 2004, she moved to a district position as instructional coordinator overseeing federal grants and professional development before becoming director of curriculum.

As assistant superintendent, she also heads the Department of Instruction. Continue Reading

The National PTA is now accepting applications for the 2012-13 Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement Grants.

The grants will award local PTAs up to $1,000 in matching funds to student-centered programs geared toward sustaining and enhancing creativity and artistic values for large groups of at-risk students. With research showing students receive the most benefit from programs that include consistent involvement in the arts, the National PTA proudly supports these invaluable opportunities.

Local PTAs are invited to apply for funding to establish or enhance arts programs in one or more arts areas: visual arts, photography, music, dance, literature and theater. Priority is being placed on projects that represent research-based best practices in arts education. Specifically, PTA will fund arts programs that:

• are of a sustained nature (rather than a one-time event)
• reach large numbers of at-risk students Continue Reading

By Amy Wallot
amy.wallot@education.ky.gov

Teachers from around the state had a good time learning about Shakespeare and how to make his work more accessible to their students during the Shakespeare Set Free Institute: Scholarship, Performance and Pedagogy. The two-day professional development opportunity was held for middle and high school teachers. Much like students, teachers also enjoy learning more when the activities are interactive. This professional development gave them that chance and they had a great time.

Megan Burnett, an assistant professor of speech and theatre at Alice Lloyd College, and Aaron Taylor, technical director for the Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center, act out a few lines from Henry V during the Shakespeare Set Free Institute presented by the Actors Theatre of Louisville, The English Speaking Union/Kentucky Branch and the Folger Shakespeare Library. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 18, 2012

Seneca High School (Jefferson County) teacher Kimberly Draewell, Assumption High School (Jefferson County private) teacher Jessica Williams and Indiana University Southeast education graduate Sherry Dour react to being called insults from Shakespeare during the Shakespeare Set Free Institute. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 18, 2012

Folger Shakespeare Library master teacher Kate Breen leads the class in an activity during the Shakespeare Set Free Institute. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 18, 2012

Seneca High School (Jefferson County) teacher Sahara Myers gives Shakespearean compliments to other teachers in the room during the Shakespeare Set Free Institute. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 18, 2012

All teachers who participated in the Shakespeare Set Free Institute received a Shakespeare Set Free toolkit. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 18, 2012

Graves County High School drama teacher Laverne Waldrop shares ways to get students to think about emphasis in text during the Shakespeare Set Free Institute. Photo by Amy Wallot, June 18, 2012

Very Special Arts’ (VSA’s) Sustaining/Creating is a national juried exhibition that asks emerging artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, to showcase work that illuminates innovative viewpoints on sustainability and contemporary creativity.

Beyond its scientific definition, sustainability references notions of responsibility and stewardship of our natural world in all facets of human interaction – from the environmental to the cultural. Sustainability indicates the capacity to endure.

Fifteen artists will be selected for an exhibition at the Smithsonian and will share $60,000 in cash awards. Entry deadline is July 8. Enter today!

There are still a few spots currently available for an upcoming field study bus trip, “Emancipation in Kentucky: A Key Turning Point,” on Friday, July 13, 2012, where participants will be visiting historic sites associated with African American Emancipation in Kentucky.

This unique professional development day will start in Frankfort at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History and include stops at White Hall (home of emancipationist Cassius Marcellus Clay), Berea (with lunch at Boone Tavern), Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park and then return to Frankfort. Cost for the field study bus tour is $100.

Space is limited, and registration ends July 6 by 4 p.m.

For more information, go to http://history.ky.gov/aor contact Tim Talbott at tim.talbott@ky.gov or at (520) 564-1792, ext. 4428.

Being a parent of a school-age child is no easy job. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) would like to offer some help, and we’re asking you to share this information with your staff members for appropriate distribution.

Twice a month, KDE sends out an issue of ParentInfo, an e-mail newsletter with timely tips and ideas on how parents can help children succeed in school. Topics include college and career readiness, testing, school-based decision making councils, bullying, technology and more.

ParentInfo also includes links to helpful resources on the Web. Parents and statewide educators can sign up at http://education.ky.gov/FormServ/Default.aspx?ID=ParentInfo for ParentInfo e-mails.

Please encourage your staff to pass this free subscription opportunity along to parents in your district. Also, feel free to link the ParentInfo sign-up page on your district website, Facebook page or any other service you use for communication purposes.

For questions regarding this, contact Susan Riddell at (502) 564-2000, ext. 4621.

To read previous issues of ParentInfo, go to KDE’s ParentInfo Archive page.

The summer institute of the Kentucky School Public Relations Association (KYSPRA) is designed to provide high-quality professional development for school district personnel engaged in any aspect of nurturing positive relationships with its stakeholders. This is also the time of year to renew KYSPRA membership.

This event will be July 19-20 in Louisville.

This year’s institute will focus on the leadership role public relations professionals play in the changing world of education. Attendees will hear from experts in leadership, education, technology and more about being “The Star You Are” in helping a school district navigate the waters ahead. Several great leadership experts, motivational speakers and PR skill-building experts are scheduled to appear.

For more information, contact Erin Stewart at (859) 624-4500, ext. 1127.