The show goes on in McCracken County, seniors honor teacher on closing night
COVID-19 has canceled plans for students throughout Kentucky. When a performance was postponed for the drama class at McCracken County High School, the students decided that the show must go on.
Milken award winner helping students, colleagues excel
Laura Cole, a mathematics teacher in Kenton County who was the recipient of a Milken Educator Award, chose teaching over accounting and has impacted both students and fellow teachers.
How Harrison County handled being the first Kentucky school district impacted by COVID-19
Harry Burchett, superintendent of Harrison County schools, explains how he and his staff handled being the first Kentucky school district to cease in-person classes because of COVID-19.
KBE SPOTLIGHT | Time and situation right for Coleman to champion public education
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, an ex officio member of the Kentucky Board of Education, has made Kentucky’s public education system a top priority since being elected and named secretary of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.
KBE SPOTLIGHT: Aaron Thompson believes every child should have the chance to learn
Aaron Thompson knows the power of a good education. His life is a testament to education’s value and he’s lived in service of it most of his adult life.
Interim Commissioner Kevin C. Brown’s May 22 letter to families
To honor the perseverance of our seniors, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has produced “Kentucky’s Tribute to the Class of 2020,” a one-hour program that will be streamed on the department’s special YouTube channel at 7 p.m. ET this Saturday, May 23.
An Open Letter to the Class of 2020
As the head of public higher education in Kentucky, I’m usually asked to deliver at least one commencement address each May. If I were giving one this year, I’d probably start by offering both my congratulations and condolences.
Interim Commissioner Kevin C. Brown’s May 15 letter to families
As this school year draws to a close, I’d like to thank you on behalf of KDE staff and the education profession for your assistance in ensuring Kentucky students continued to learn during the extraordinary circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand the pressures you are facing as you balance caring for children, helping them learn and, in many cases, continuing your own work.
Interim Commissioner Kevin C. Brown’s May 8 letter to families
With all that has happened in the closing weeks of this school year, you may not want to think about what the next school year will look like for your children just yet. That’s certainly understandable given that we have all been working so hard to complete this year under extraordinary circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 emergency.
Thanking Kentucky’s public school teachers
May is always a special time of the year in education because that’s when we celebrate national Teacher Appreciation Week, which this year is being celebrated May 4-8.
A thank you to teachers from Interim Commissioner Kevin C. Brown
There are times when merely saying thank you doesn’t seem to be enough and this is certainly one of those times. We pause each year at this time during National Teacher Appreciation Week to express our gratitude for the important work you do.
KDE releases guidance on social emotional health for when schools reopen
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released a new guidance document May 26 about how districts can support students, faculty and staff through social emotional learning when schools begin to reopen in the fall.
Kentucky School Report Card financial data features new financial narrative
Kentucky residents can now see how much schools spend per student and other financial expenditures with a new update of the Kentucky Department of Education’s School Report Card, which was released May 26.
Kentucky students eligible for new emergency food benefits
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) and the Kentucky Department of Education are partnering to provide food assistance to families who have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency.
Gov. Beshear introduces contact tracing to Kentucky’s superintendents
In a May 21 call with Kentucky’s 172 superintendents, Gov. Andy Beshear and Mark Carter – who was recently appointed as executive adviser leading the contact tracing – spoke of the importance of accurate and efficient contact tracing as a way to manage the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
Kentucky’s superintendents dive into KDE reopening guidance document during webcast
Superintendents from Kentucky’s 172 school districts joined Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) leadership during a May 19 webcast as they dove into the reopening guidance document released by the department on May 15 that leads school leaders through a variety of questions to consider when planning how to start classes for the 2020-2021 school year.
Kentucky students win National Security Language Initiative scholarships
Nine students at The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University have received a nationally-competitive National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Scholarships for immersive, critical language study this summer and next academic year.
High School Speech League State Tournament names winners
The Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL) State Tournament celebrated its 100 year of state competitions with students from throughout the state competing virtually in 14 speech events. The first KHSSL statewide debate was held in 1921 with speech events added the next year.
Three Schools Win $100K DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center
The multi-million dollar DON’T QUIT! Campaign has named Stuart Academy/Frost Sixth-Grade Academy (Jefferson County), Hiseville Elementary School (Barren County) and Wurtland Middle School (Greenup County) as the state’s most outstanding schools for demonstrating leadership in getting and keeping their students fit.
Nominations sought for KDE commissioner of education
The Kentucky Board of Education – with the assistance of Greenwood/Asher and Associates Inc. – is searching for nominations for the next commissioner of education.
Free claim-evidence-reasoning workshop for science teachers
The Collaborative for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is holding a free virtual workshop with one-hour sessions for middle and high school science teachers who want to learn more about using claim-evidence-reasoning to support students in constructing clear and concise scientific explanations. The sessions will be held July 20 and 24, Aug. 3 and 20, and Sept. 3.
