The new school year always brings excitement for the opportunities our students will have as they continue to grow within our communities.

The importance of the work families do to prepare their children for the school year cannot be overstated, and every school leader appreciates when families are All In on their students’ education. Engaged families lead to engaged students which lead to a better learning environment for everyone.

Robbie Fletcher

Kentucky Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher

The beginning of the year is a fun time for families and educators, but it can bring a little bit of stress as well. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has resources to help everyone who is involved with a child’s education. For parents, this includes the Parent and Family Connection Hub on the KDE website, which includes a variety of resources and tools to help parents engage with their child’s school and learning supports they can use. More resources for students with special needs are available on the KDE Special Education Parent and Family Resources webpage.

The new school year will be an exciting time for KDE and the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) as well. We are working to reimagine Kentucky’s assessment and accountability system following the passage of House Bill 257 earlier this year. Our staff is excited about what’s ahead for assessment and accountability. This progress was built off the feedback we have gathered from across the Commonwealth, including families and parents, and we are thankful for that so we can build a system that puts Kentucky’s priorities at the forefront.

We are also welcoming new non-voting student and teacher members to the KBE. Trace Brooking, a junior at Glasgow High School (Glasgow Independent), is the newest non-voting student member. Stephanie Phillips, a family consumer sciences teacher at Paul Blazer High School (Ashland Independent), is the newest non-voting teacher member.

These individuals provide necessary insights from our schools when it comes to how we operate at KDE and how the KBE determines what the best steps are with decisions affecting schools across the Commonwealth.

Both of their terms started July 1, and I had the opportunity to talk with them a bit as they prepared for their first KBE meeting in August. Brooking is a bright, excited young man with a passion for civic engagement who seems eager to hit the ground running. Mrs. Phillips has been a steady, uplifting presence in her district for more than a decade, helping young students in the Ashland community – a community where she grew up – figure out what they want to do in their careers.

I have had the chance to work with the last few non-voting KBE members, and they are some of the brightest minds with some of the most enlightening thoughts when it comes to the experiences of students and teachers in our schools.

The work of these members, as well as the hard work from the people in our school buildings, is greatly appreciated as we strive to ensure Kentucky has the best possible public education system, filled with vibrant learning experiences for our students.