Kentucky Teacher

The Kentucky School Boards Association’s (KSBA) will host its annual Federal & State Law Update: Impact on Your School District Conference May 10-11 at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington.

The conference will provide school boards and districts information they need to appropriately implement legal and policy changes within their districts for next school year. In order to address liability concerns from situations around the country, other topics to be presented include: volunteer issues; financial pitfalls; child abuse reporting, and a restraint/seclusion update.

KSBA’s Policy Service also will present a look at the policy and procedure changes recommended for districts based on legal developments that have occurred during the past year.

Conference participants will hear from experienced school law attorneys, school district policy consultants, KSBA’s legislative team, current and former superintendents and principals, and the Cabinet for Families and Children. It is important that school district administrators keep abreast of changes in the law in order to protect themselves and school districts from liability.

Registration is available on the KSBA website. Or, contact Jolene Shearer by phone at 502-783-0060 or by e-mail at jolene.shearer@ksba.org

The Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA) is asking school districts and communities to thank and recognize the state’s 872 local board of education members during the January observance of School Board Recognition Month.

“The month of January has become a time for Kentuckians –and, in fact, for people in many other states — to offer their ‘thank yous’ to the men and women who serve on our local boards of education,” said KSBA President and Lincoln County board member Tom Blankenship. “Allow me to add my own nod of appreciation to the 871 other local board members in Kentucky’s 174 school districts. Your work on behalf of your children, your staff and your community deserves a year-round salute, because those labors represent 12 months of study, choices and decisions.”

Education Commissioner Terry Holliday also saluted board members for their service to children and their communities.

“Leaders make a difference, and school board members make a real difference with their long-term policy implications for education,” Holliday said in a video interview posted to the KSBA website. “The local school board is so important because it represents the voice and the political will of the community.

“It’s critical for the school board members to be the eyes and ears of the community,” Holliday said. “The school board sets the vision for the future of the system. Their second most important job is to hire a superintendent to implement that vision through their policies.”

Kentucky and Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA) again will join many other states and school boards associations in observing January 2012 as School Board Recognition Month.

A packet of sample public information items about the observation will be e-mailed by KSBA to all superintendents and members of the Kentucky School Public Relations Association around Dec. 19.

The articles also will be made available on the association’s website on a page that will be shared with districts.

An addition to this year’s materials will be a video interview with Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday with his thoughts about the value and importance of local school board service. The video will be available on the homepage of the KSBA website around Jan. 1.

KSBA also will provide board members and superintendents with its traditional token of appreciation by mailing each a copy of a 2012 calendar featuring important dates and deadlines for school leaders, information about KSBA services and events, and photos of students at work and play across the state. Look for that mailing in late December.

As a result of elections at this year’s Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA) fall regional meetings, two local board members will complete unexpired terms and four new regional directors have begun their terms on the association’s board of directors.

At the six regions’ elections this year, participating board members elected included:

• Gene Allen (East Bernstadt Independent) as the new regional director for the Upper Cumberland Region
• Frank McGuire(Pike County) as the new regional director of the Eastern Kentucky South Region
• E. Carolyn Tucker as the new regional director for the Second Region
• Jo Annette Sabol (West Point Independent) as the new regional director of the Fourth Region
• Becky Burgett (Gallatin County) to complete the term as regional director for the Northern Kentucky Region
• Michael Turner (Casey County) to complete the term as regional director for the Middle Cumberland Region Read the full story

Do you understand how you get immunity if you are sued by a student due to a disciplinary action?

Do you understand the latest rules regarding discipline of public school students? 

It is crucial for local school officials to stay abreast of current Kentucky and federal law and district policy in this area to have legal protection should a student challenge your actions. To that end, the Kentucky School Boards Association’s annual Student Discipline Conference has a strong lineup of topics and presenters to prepare school personnel for common – and uncommon – student disciplinary issues.

This year’s conference is Oct. 27 at the Clarion Hotel on Newtown Pike in Lexington. Registration is $200 per person. Read the full story

The Kentucky School Boards Association’s (KSBA’s) major summer training event, the Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) will be July 8-9 in Lexington.

This event will continue the association’s emphasis on implementation of the state’s new school assessment and accountability system and other changes in the state’s public education system required under Senate Bill 1. Read the full story

Gov. Steve Beshear has appointed Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA) Associate Executive Director David Baird to the eight-member Kentucky School Facilities Construction Commission (SFCC). Baird’s appointment was one of several education-related actions recently made by the governor.

The SFCC, part of the state Finance and Administration Cabinet, assists school districts with school facility construction and technology funding. It distributes state funds to eligible districts certified by the Kentucky Board of Education. The commission issues bonds in its name and enters lease agreements with local boards of education to finance construction of new facilities and major renovation of existing facilities. It is responsible for allocating General Assembly appropriations for the financing of construction and implementation of technology on a timely and objective basis. Read the full story

Effort boosts mathematics skills, discipline through piano lessons
From KSBA

A musical link between mathematics skills and overall student performance in the Letcher County school district has been selected for the Kentucky School Boards Association’s (KSBA) highest academic honor, the Public Education Achieves in Kentucky (PEAK) Award.

In the first 18 months of the piano program at its seven elementary schools, the district has seen an improvement in 3rd- and 4th-grade mathematics scores, discipline and attendance. Read the full story

The recently updated Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA) School Board Leadership Guide is available as an online resource for Kentucky’s 800-plus local board of education members.

The new guide was provided in the packets of all attendees at this year’s KSBA annual conference. A hard copy also is sent to each newly-appointed board member. Additional print copies are available for districts for $10 each.

But the online version has everything school board members will need at their fingertips in a searchable PDF format. Members can access the online guide here.

For more information, contact Kerri Schelling or Tammie Conatser toll-free at (800) 372-2962.

A delegation of Kentucky school board members and superintendents were among the 800 local school leaders who met with members of Congress and gained insights into national education issues during the National School Boards Association (NSBA)’s Federal Relations Network (FRN) conference recently in Washington, D.C. Read the full story