What equality and equity means to me
When Education Commissioner Jason E. Glass called me last year to ask if I would become Kentucky’s first chief equity officer, it was one of the greatest honors of my career.
Talking with Students About Jan. 6, 2021
Throughout the course of my education career, I have engaged in numerous discussions on how and if schools should discuss and teach controversial topics with students.
Seniors: What’s your next step?
It soon will be a time of new beginnings for this year’s high school seniors. Even though their senior year hasn’t been what they anticipated, now is the time to be following through with plans for what comes next in their lives.
Wishing you a happy holiday season
I’ve always been a fan of the holiday season, much like all of you I’m sure. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the things I like the most about the holidays are the traditions – decorating, spending time with neighbors and special dinners with friends and family.
We need our communities to take this virus as seriously as our schools have
Public education is a decidedly social endeavor. The things most graduates treasure from their school years are the memories of interactions with great teachers who changed the trajectory of their life, their experiences in school activities and athletics that taught them the value of collaboration and teamwork, and the lifelong bonds of friendship that often are forged in school-age years.
Reaching and serving Kentucky’s homeless children and youth
November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, a time for us to bring attention to the prevalence of homeless youth within Kentucky and create an awareness of the challenges faced by students and families experiencing homelessness.
We need to hear from you
My first few weeks as Kentucky’s education commissioner have been a whirlwind of phone calls and virtual meetings with students, teachers, Kentucky Department of Education staff and other education stakeholders to get an idea of the education landscape in the Commonwealth.
A statement from Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason E. Glass
"Schools across Kentucky have been doing a tremendous job keeping the learning going for our students and we have not seen (so far) COVID-19 transmissions linked directly to schools – an indication that our virus mitigation efforts within schools are working. Disappointingly, the same cannot be said for many communities and the rest of the state. "When a community goes into the 'red' it should lead to a discussion with the district leadership, the school board and local public health on what the best course forward should be, which may include temporarily closing the school to in-person learning. More importantly, [...]
School Report Card 2020 – User experience testing
The 2019-2020 School Report Card (SRC) is now public and we’d love to receive feedback and suggestions from our advisory groups and education partners. The feedback link at the bottom right of the SRC can be used to provide a quick comment or respond to a feedback survey at any time.
Celebrate Kentucky Safe Schools Week this October
This year, Oct. 18-24 will be recognized as Kentucky Safe Schools Week. This annual event – which has recognized issues such as preventing cyberbullying, hatred and violence – has taken on a bit of a different perspective due to the COVID-19 pandemic.