Kentucky Teacher

Gov. Steve Beshear yesterday ceremonially signed House Bill 207 that unites the state’s two Career and Technical Education (CTE) systems under the guidance of Kentucky’s Department of Education. The goal is to create a unified, more relevant and efficient system to educate and prepare students for the world of work in a real-life setting.

“Our students need an education system that provides job-training and learning opportunities that will prepare them with the skills today’s businesses require,” said Gov. Beshear. “Recognizing the valuable role that CTE plays is an essential part of building a viable, competitive workforce.”

The legislation, which codifies an executive order signed by Gov. Beshear in August 2012, is part of a larger effort to prepare students for a wider range of career options through high-quality CTE programs. There is a statewide movement to make these programs more accessible earlier, more academically rigorous and better aligned with postsecondary requirements and employer needs.

For example, the Kentucky Board of Education has adopted a college and career readiness measure that includes an academic component and a technical skill component. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) offers dual credit opportunities so that high school students can earn college credit. Kentucky provides funds from the Carl D. Perkins CTE Basic Grant to encourage secondary and postsecondary institutions to develop innovative career pathways.

“Career and technical education directly connects learning and jobs for our students and provides them with engaging real-world opportunities so that they can transition to higher education or Continue Reading

From Pre-K to On Our Way is a day-long training to promote and support transitions from preschool to public school. The training will be May 31 in Lexington.

This event is for preschool or early care teachers, staff and directors, kindergarten and 1st-grade teachers.

In this workshop, participants will:

• review the research on the impact of preschool and parent involvement on student success
• identify ways to build effective partnerships preschool/kindergarten/home
• recognize the transitions between Kentucky’s early childhood standards and the common core standards
• build parents’ capacities to be positively involved in their schools

Register by sending an e-mail to mtoney@prichardcommittee.org or calling Molly Toney at (859) 230-6222, ext. 226.

I recently returned from “Washington Recognition Week” in our nation’s capital and all I can say is that I wish every teacher across Kentucky could be doted on as I and my fellow State Teachers of the Year (STOYs) were during this week.  It was an incredible time.

Kentucky Teacher of the Year Kristal Doolin with her husband, Terry, and daughter, Tara, with the Jefferson Memorial behind them. Photo submitted by Kristal Doolin

From our time at the White House, to our visit with Dr. Jill Biden at her home and our work at the U.S. Department of Education, gratitude seemed to be the order of the week.

In an effort to pay it forward, as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-11), I’d like to thank both my former teachers and fellow teachers across the state.  I invite everyone who reads this to do the same. As President Obama said during our ceremony in the Rose Garden, “If there’s one thing we can’t say enough to our nation’s educators, it is ‘thank you.’”  I quite agree, Mr. President.

However, we can go further than simply saying “thank you.”  I believe the key to impressing upon teachers how much they are valued and keeping good teachers in the field goes beyond appreciation.  Teachers are consummate professionals who look for “teachable moments” in life the way doctors seek new medical solutions.

While in Washington D.C., for example, I found a plethora of experiential learning opportunities for my daughter and, as she did in Arizona, she recorded her learning to share with her classmates while I blogged about my experiences with my students.  After returning from our time in D.C., as planned, she shared her experiences with her 3rd-grade classmates through a video she made on her iPad.

In the week after we returned, my daughter was invited to share her video and speak to four other classes in her school.  The fact that this was a success and links to common core is like hitting the bull’s eye of the target for me. That is what teachers get excited about – in or out of the classroom.

Kentucky Teacher of the Year Kristal Doolin during her visit to Washington D.C. at the library for the Department of Education.

I agree with President Obama when during that same speech he said, “Teaching is a profession and it should be treated like one.”  This rang true when during our time at the U.S. Department of Education later in the week, my fellow STOYs and I were introduced to the RESPECT project. RESPECT (Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching), according to our own Commissioner of Education, Terry Holiday, “…is a great initiative.”  It is the result of a two-year effort led by the U.S. Department of Education that involves educators across the nation and several professional organizations lifting teaching to the level deserving of such a profession. RESPECT is not another federal mandate, but is a revolutionary effort that starts with educators.I invite all educators to visit http://www.ed.gov/teaching . Review and discuss the RESPECT document (which was embargoed until recently, but is now available).  See how schools and districts are already working toward a new vision of teaching.  I personally applaud the effort and look forward to the day when teaching is treated at a level equivalent to other professions and each “thank you” is the icing on the cake made of RESPECT.

A total of 17 Kentucky public school districts have submitted applications to the Kentucky Department of Education to become Districts of Innovation.

The Districts of Innovation legislation, House Bill 37 (2012) — codified as KRS 156.108 and 160.107, provides Kentucky public school districts the opportunity to apply for an exemption from certain administrative regulations and statutory provisions in an effort to improve student learning. Local board policy may also be waived for a District of Innovation.

By “re-thinking” what a school might look like, districts will be able to redesign teaching and learning using innovative strategies such as competency-based learning, creating multiple pathways to graduation, and a modified school schedule in an effort to engage and motivate more students, and increase the numbers of those who are college- and career-ready.

During May, a cross-agency team comprised of staff from the Kentucky Department of Education, Education Professional Standards Board and the Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center (ARCC), will review applications using a rigorous process in which each application will be evaluated against a scoring rubric. Among other requirements, applications had to include an evaluation model for monitoring the effects of plans on student learning, graduation rates and college- and career-readiness.

Districts submitting applications are:

• Cloverport Independent Continue Reading

Tommy Floyd

Education Commissioner Terry Holliday has named Thomas G. “Tommy” Floyd to the newly created position of chief of staff at the Kentucky Department of Education. Floyd is currently the superintendent of the Madison Co. Schools.Holliday said the position is needed due to the large number of initiatives that the department is implementing related to Senate Bill 1 (2009), the state’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility waiver and the “increasing need to collaborate and coordinate with our stakeholders and partner groups.”

In naming Floyd to the position, Holliday praised his work as a Kentucky educator. “Tommy’s focus on student success, data-driven decision making and continuous improvement aligns with the department’s efforts to better public education in our state. He recognizes the collaborative nature of our work and understands what it will take for all students to graduate college- and career-ready,” Holliday said.

Floyd has headed the Madison Co. Schools since March 2008 after serving as interim superintendent and chief academic officer for two Continue Reading

Three Kentucky schools are among 64 schools nationwide that have been named 2013 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools.

The program honors schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.

 Kentucky’s National Green Ribbon Schools are:

• Cane Run Elementary (Jefferson County)
• Locust Trace AgriScience Farm (Fayette Co.)
• Northern Elementary (Scott County)

The 2013 National Green Ribbon Schools will be recognized during a national award ceremony scheduled for June 3.  In announcing winners, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan lauded the honorees for modeling a comprehensive approach to being green. Continue Reading

Gov. Steve Beshear this week ceremonially signed House Bill 172, a measure to encourage schools to keep emergency medication on hand for children who can suffer severe, life-threatening allergic reactions.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Addia K. Wuchner, of Florence, encourages schools to keep epinephrine pens on the premises.  These pens are used in emergencies to inject potentially lifesaving medication if a student suffers an allergic reaction, such as to a food like peanuts.

“If this legislation can help save a child who has a life-threatening allergy, it’s well worth it,” Gov. Beshear said. “Whether they’re at school or at home, we want kids to be safe, and to have access to medicine that can be vital in emergency situation.”

“Even if you are a nurse, watching a child suffer from a life-threatening emergency is extremely frightening. I lived that nightmare several years ago as I carried our grandson into the ER in anaphylactic shock from a previously unknown food allergy,” said Rep.  Wuchner, who is also a nurse. “Many Kentucky children who may unknowingly suffer from food allergies are at risk of a life-threatening emergency at Continue Reading

I recently received the following letter from a teacher regarding parent involvement and the challenges she faces getting parents engaged with her classroom and school. Parent involvement is vital to the work we are undertaking in Kentucky schools, yet I know it can be difficult to get parents engaged and involved in our schools. I wanted to share the letter with all of you, and also my response, which I hope provides some helpful suggestions.

Here is the teacher’s letter:

To: Holliday, Terry – Commissioner, Dept. of Education

Subject:  Increased Parental Involvement

Dr. Holliday,

As a teacher, I want you to know that I have tried more than once to get parents in to conference with them about their child. I have offered Parent Teacher Conferences October 8^th, November 5th, 2012, January 4th, and February 26^th, 2013. I also offer evening hours. I Continue Reading

Commissioner Terry Holliday pictured in his office with a quilt made from t-shirts given to him during school visits.
Photo by Amy Wallot, March 29, 2013

When Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday looks up from his desk, before him hangs a custom-made quilt expertly designed, sewn and quilted by his sister-in-law, Libby Holliday, who lives in Belton, South Carolina. Based on the craftsmanship, it is clear she does this work professionally.

But this is no ordinary wall hanging. This quilt was created from t-shirts given to the commissioner by staff in many of the districts where he has travelled since taking the job in 2009. Blocks of district and school names, mottos and logos make up the colorful patchwork. It even has a stitched script of Kentucky subtly worked into the quilting.

In a 2011 self-evaluation, Holliday pledged to visit every public school district in the state. This past December, he accomplished his goal. In total, the commissioner visited roughly 450 schools in 174 districts and put about 50,000 miles on his car. Continue Reading

In an effort to better engage teachers in the implementation of Kentucky’s Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES), the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Education Association, and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence have announced a partnership with Hope Street Group, a national nonprofit organization known for its teacher engagement work.

Hope Street Group’s collaborative efforts will center on transforming the teaching profession and improving outcomes for Kentucky children.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said the department and its partners welcome Hope Street Group to the state.

“We share a common commitment – to engage teachers at every level. The Hope Street Group’s work in Kentucky will support and reinforce our strategic work around educator effectiveness,” he said. “More effective teaching means improved student outcomes ensuring that all of our students graduate from high school college/career-ready.” Continue Reading