View as Webpage

Lawmakers hear about supports for struggling schools 

The first House Education Committee meeting of the 2024 legislative session focused on state supports for low-performing schools.

Federal law requires schools that perform in the bottom 5% on the state’s assessment system to be identified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Kelly Foster, Kentucky Department of Education associate commissioner, told lawmakers Tuesday during her presentation. The school boards that govern those schools (currently 28 in the state) must choose a turnaround vendor. So far, all school boards have chosen KDE to create their 3-year turnaround plan, she said.

“We provide education recovery staff members in those buildings on a daily basis,” she said.

Rep. Kevin Jackson, R-Bowling Green, a Warren County school board member, said that one of his district’s elementary schools has 60% of students who are English language learners (ELL). He noted that test scores of those students count no matter how long they have been in the school.

“That doesn’t seem fair to me,” he said, adding that the school is the district’s only CSI school.

He noted that more schools will likely deal with this issue in the future so he has filed House Bill 108 that would created a graduated system of including ELL students’ scores in the assessment system.

The House Education meeting will not meet next week. It’s next meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m., Jan. 23. 

Photo: KDE Associate Commissioner Kelly Foster and Policy Adviser Matthew Courtney discuss supports for low-performing schools at the House Education Committee on Tuesday.

Bill targeting diversity, equity and inclusion in schools filed

Senate Bill 93, filed by Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, prohibits diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts of school districts, with DEI defined as “any program, activity, instruction, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification.”

Existing local, state and federal policies to which schools must adhere already prohibit discrimination or preferential treatment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, religion, etc.

The bill also strikes nearly all statutory language regarding trauma-informed care approaches originally set in 2019’s School Safety and Resiliency Act (SB1) and prohibits districts from administering “any statement, pledge, or oath, other than to uphold general and federal law, the United States Constitution, and the Constitution of Kentucky, as a part of any recruitment, hiring, employment, promotion, disciplinary, or evaluation process.”

KBE seeks feedback on next education commissioner

The Kentucky Board of Education, with assistance from McPherson & Jacobson LLC, is seeking feedback from educators, administrators and education stakeholders as the search for a new education commissioner continues.

The board said it needs thoughtful and candid input to ensure that the voices of communities across the Commonwealth are part of the search to find the best commissioner of education.

Feedback can be submitted through the Kentucky educators and administrators survey or the Kentucky education stakeholder survey. The education stakeholder survey, which also is available in Spanish, is intended for use by families, community members, business owners and others with a stake in Kentucky’s public education system.

The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and all answers are anonymous. This survey is distributed by McPherson & Jacobson's research partner, K12 Insight, and reports will share only the overall results.

The surveys close Feb. 16. Updates in the search for a new commissioner can be found on the 2023-2024 Commissioner Search webpage.

Resources for candidates in 2024 school board elections

KSBA has released its 2024 School Board Election Resources Guide, a comprehensive document complete with instructions, checklist, answers to frequently asked questions, templates, dates/deadlines, etc., for those filing for election in 2024. The guide is a helpful tool for those up for re-election in 2024 as well as for anyone who may be considering public service on their local school boards.

Does your board team anticipate a vacancy at the end of 2024? Consider sharing this resource with those who you feel may be good prospects for local leadership. 

The filing deadline for those seeking school board seats in 2024 is 4 p.m. (local time) June 4. However, KSBA recommends completing the process well ahead of the deadline to allow time to address any issues with paperwork. Reach out to KSBA Staff Attorney John Powell if you have any questions.  

January is School Board Recognition Month

Throughout the month of January, KSBA is encouraging districts to commemorate School Board Recognition Month. KSBA provides a toolkit to help district staff celebrate their local leaders and to highlight the important roles school board members play.

Access KSBA’s School Board Recognition Month resource page, complete with graphics, templates and ideas for spotlighting your school board members. Many districts have already highlighted their board members on social media, and we look forward to seeing the creative ways boards are recognized all month long. Please share this information with others in your district who may find it of interest: PR/Communications staff, administrators, volunteers, etc.

Districts may also email photos and press releases of their School Board Recognition Month activities to Josh Shoulta. 

KSBA asks members to submit professional and civic accomplishments

In an effort to better showcase the accomplishments of school board members, we invite KSBA members and administrators to submit details on their professional, civic and philanthropic accomplishments, awards, promotions, etc.

Using this short online form, please provide details on items of note that have taken place in the previous two months.

Examples of acceptable submissions include job promotions, community awards, special recognitions, retirements. Space is limited, so KSBA is unable to include updates that fall outside of the previously mentioned parameters (such as marriages, births, birthdays, etc.). Submissions may be included in upcoming issues of the Kentucky School Advocate magazine and in other KSBA media. 

Superintendent Search Alert

KSBA's Superintendent Search Service is currently facilitating a search in the following district. Click the district name to be directed to the position posting and application instructions.

Dayton Independent Schools

Application deadline: Feb. 2, 2024

COSSBA Annual Conference just around the corner

The Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA) hosts its 2024 Annual Conference Feb. 22-25 in Dallas. This year’s program provides school board members, administrators and state association staff opportunities to explore the latest trends and best practices in a number of education topics. The event also features an expansive trade show and networking opportunities. To date, more than 50 representatives from Kentucky are already registered. Learn more about COSSBA’s 2024 Annual Conference.

Free webinar for KSBA members: COSSBA will also host a free webinar at 2 p.m. (ET) on Jan. 17. “Unlocking Knowledge: Empowering Students Through Literacy” will delve into the fundamental right of every student to access the world of knowledge through proficient literacy. The session aims to underscore the pivotal role literacy plays in driving student achievement, drawing insights from successful initiatives in school districts in both Missouri and Mississippi. Learn more and register for this webinar.

KSBA in the News

Because of the unique roles school boards play in matters of policy and education trends, KSBA is often called on by media outlets to weigh in on important school-related issues and provide background. See below for some of the recent stories to which KSBA contributed. 

• Kentucky school board member must vacate seat due to conflict of interest, AG’s office says – Lexington Herald-Leader (Dec. 18, 2023)

• KY School Boards Association members will be keeping an eye on Frankfort during legislative session – WEKU Radio (Jan. 1, 2024)

• Ban on K-12 diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives proposed in KY legislature – Lexington Herald-Leader (Jan. 9, 2024)

Jan. 1-31: School Board Recognition Month

Jan. 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Jan. 23: House Education Committee

Feb. 6-7: Kentucky Board of Education meeting

Feb. 22-25: COSSBA Annual Conference

March 1-3: KSBA Annual Conference

Tier 2 Affiliates