Tag: Commissioner’s Comments

For this year’s graduates, I want to be one of the first to say congratulations. Your hard work and your persistence are bearing fruit as you leave your graduation ceremony with your diploma in hand.

On March 14, in accordance with the authority granted to the Kentucky commissioner of education by a state law that dates back decades, I sent an email to 10 school district superintendents requesting records and documents.

There is no greater education equity issue in Kentucky than ensuring every public school student in Kentucky has a highly-qualified and effective teacher. But as we continue to build our teacher workforce around effectiveness, we also must be attuned to building a workforce that is more reflective of the incredible diversity of Kentucky students and communities.

Learning about and celebrating the contributions of African Americans to the building, development and success of the United States was an important part of my childhood and schooling. It is important to me as an educator and even more important to me as a father.

The Kentucky Department of Education recently released a K-3 Dyslexia Toolkit for families and teachers. This 20-page document provides guidance for teachers about how to identify and provide support for children who have dyslexia.

We have reached the point in Kentucky’s history when change to our minimum standards for high school graduation is necessary to ensure that our children are well-prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce.

The Every Student Succeeds Act – the federal law that governs K-12 public education – the phrase “parent and family engagement” is used in lieu of “parental involvement.” While that seems like a minor change, I think it is a big shift in how we think about the relationship between families and our schools.

Starting this month, you’ll begin hearing much more about our new school accountability system and what it means for each district, school and student.

Does handing a diploma to a high school graduate mean that he or she is ready to succeed in the next phase of life? Under Kentucky’s current graduation requirements, the answer is no, which is why I believe now is the time for us to make significant revisions to our requirements.

Following my recommendation to place Jefferson County Public Schools in state management, some school leaders, teachers and parents outside Louisville have asked “will our district be next?” The simple answer is “no,”