No in-person classes the remainder of school year; in-person graduations also canceled

Gov. Andy Beshear made it official on Monday: Kentucky students will not return to in-person classes this school year.

“Every health care professional advised us that this is the right course of action to take,” he said during his daily news conference.

In a conference call with Kentucky’s 172 superintendents before the public announcement, Beshear said that public health officials and White House guidelines for reopening the economy both recommended that schools remain closed.

“We are asking that schools continue non-traditional instruction, it’s very helpful for our kids, it gives them structure, it gives them an outlet, it keeps them intellectually challenged,” he said.

Districts will continue non-traditional instruction (NTI) days until they reach the state-required 1,062 instructional hours. To make it easier to reach that threshold, the Kentucky Department of Education in its Education Continuation Plan has allowed NTI days to count as seven-hour days. Most districts will now meet the requirement by mid-May.

Beshear also said that no in person proms or graduation ceremonies can be held in May and instead urged districts to find creative ways to honor seniors.

“To those seniors it’s going to a little bit harder,” he said. “It’s not fair, but a worldwide pandemic has hit us and those of you who are missing out on these opportunities, we need your help and we need your sacrifice, and ultimately the experience your losing is hard, but your willingness to do it is going to help us save lives.”

During Tuesday’s Education Continuation Task Force meeting, Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Brown said that districts hoping to have in-person graduation ceremonies in late summer or early fall may want to reconsider. During that time Kentucky could still be in phase one of the reopening plan, during which public gatherings would be limited to 10 people. Even when the state moves to phase 2, gatherings would be limited to 50 people.

“We probably need to take advantage of doing some type of virtual recognition on or around the last day of instruction or late May, whenever you would normally have your graduation ceremony,” he said.

The task force also discussed the extended summer slide and an initiative to provide virtual coaching for teachers. The next task force meeting is May 4. KDE will hold a Superintendent’s Webcast at 2 p.m. Thursday to discuss the COVID-19 impact on districts.

KBE votes to remove annual charter training requirement

School board members would no longer have to undergo annual charter authorizer training under a regulation approved by the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) at its April 9 meeting.

The KBE unanimously approved the change in state regulation allowing school board members to forgo charter authorizer training until the district receives a charter school application.

Once a district receives an application, school board members would have 10 days to complete the training. Members with less than eight years of service will be required to receive 12 training hours and members with eight years of service or more would be required to receive eight hours of training.

The regulation must still go through the legislative approval process which includes a public comment period and a vote by the Administrative Regulation Review subcommittee.

Previously, the KBE had allowed Interim Commissioner Kevin Brown to issue a waiver of the training requirements for 2020 to any school board that requested the waiver.

In addition to the regulation change and waiver, Senate Bill 158 which passed the General Assembly, also changes the charter authorizer training requirements.

The bill, which could be still be vetoed by Gov. Andy Beshear, says boards do not have to undergo charter training until the board receives an application. When an application is received, any board member who has not completed charter training within the last 12 months must receive six hours of charter training before evaluating the application.

Senate confirms most KBE members

On the final day of the 2020 legislative session, the Senate confirmed 10 of the 11 voting members of the Kentucky Board of Education. Senators declined to confirm KBE Chairman David Karem and did not vote on two ex-officio members -- Rowan County teacher Allison Slone and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman.

The members had been appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear on his first day in office. The Senate confirmed the seven members representing Kentucky’s Supreme Court districts whose terms expire April 14, 2024:

The Senate also confirmed three at-large members whose terms expire April 14, 2022:

The resolution confirming Karem received 17 votes for and 17 against. Because of the tie, the resolution failed. Beshear will appoint someone to fill Karem’s seat. Until a new chairperson is elected in August, vice chairwoman Lu Young will serve as chairwoman.

The Senate did not take up the appointments of two ex officio seats, one for the secretary of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet held by Coleman and one for an active elementary or secondary school teacher held by Slone. One ex officio member, Aaron Thompson, president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, remains on the board.

Photo: David Karem, left, speaks at KSBA's 2020 Annual Conference, he was the only voting member of the state board of education who was not confirmed by the Senate this month.

Education commissioner search continues

The Kentucky Board of Education is continuing its search for a new education commissioner in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Search firm Greenwood/Asher told the KBE at its April 9 meeting that it is preparing advertisements soliciting interest in the position, creating a position profile that will explain the job to potential candidates and collecting names of people who might be candidates.

The board hired Greenwood/Asher on March 18 to lead the search. The Florida-based firm also handled the searches that resulted in the hiring of former education commissioners Terry Holliday and Stephen Pruitt.

The KBE hopes to have a new commissioner in place by July 1, however Interim Commissioner Kevin Brown (pictured) said at the meeting that he will stay on until a new commissioner is hired. Brown is not a candidate for the position.

The next KBE meeting is planned for June 3, but Brown noted that special meetings will likely be needed because of the commissioner search and to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

KSBA to offer monthly webinars for training credit

Join KSBA the second Wednesday of each month for an hour of meaningful board member training. Our “Learn and Earn” webinar series offers helpful (and concise) topics while providing school board members with required training credits.

All sessions will run from noon – 1 p.m. (ET) at a cost of $50 per session. Pre-registration is required and space is limited to 100 viewers each session. Register now! View a summary of upcoming topics below and follow links to register. Visit the Learn and Earn web page for detailed webinar descriptions, presenter information, registration details and more. Download a complete schedule (PDF) of the upcoming Learn and Earn opportunities.

For questions regarding the Learn and Earn webinars, contact Laura Cole, KSBA director of Board Team Development, via email or at 800-372-2962.

Top five COVID-19 considerations for school boards

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced school districts to rapidly make difficult decisions for the remainder of the school year. While the future remains unclear for students, faculty and staff, school boards must take decisive action on behalf of the communities they were elected to serve.

As part of our ongoing pandemic guidance, KSBA has prepared a training video to help school boards focus on the areas that need their attention. “ Top Five COVID-19 Considerations for School Boards,” presented by KSBA’s Eric Kennedy and Katrina Kinman, addresses frequently asked questions from central office personnel and board teams. Topics include:

School board members can earn elective board training credit for watching the video in its entirety (and completing of the self-study form).

June 2 school board election filing deadline quickly approaching

School board members seeking reelection this fall must file the required paperwork with their county clerk's office by June 2. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and state social distancing efforts, county clerks’ offices may not be in a position to readily provide in-person services or accept in-person filings. Please plan accordingly.

Candidates should review their clerk's website for contact information and to check for specific information on candidate filings. Those seeking to run in school board elections should follow the available instructions well in advance of the June 2 deadline to allow enough time to obtain proper documentation and to learn how clerks will accept filings, including possibly by mail.

Candidates should not assume that the June 2 filing deadline will be extended.

As a service to our members and the communities they represent, KSBA has once again compiled helpful resources for those seeking reelection this fall. This includes answers to frequently asked questions, guidance on acquiring required transcripts, “do's and don’ts” of campaigning, board member job description and more.

Registration now open for Federal & State Law Update

KSBA’s 14th Annual Federal & State Law Update will be held from 9 a.m. until noon on Thursday, June 2. This year’s event will be the first of its kind to be held as a live virtual conference, allowing participants to join from the convenience of their homes or offices.

This year’s agenda includes:

The cost is $150 per person for this three-hour virtual conference. Board members can earn three hours of training credit. Approval for CLE and EILA credit has been requested. See the full agenda.

NSBA names new executive director

The National School Boards Association (NSBA), representing 49 state school board associations (including Kentucky), has appointed Anna Maria Chávez as its executive director and chief executive officer (CEO).

In her new role, Chávez will lead efforts to expand on NSBA’s strong federal, legal and public advocacy, reputation and credible voice. She brings 25 years of extensive experience in government and non-profit organizational leadership and management, including strategic planning, advocating for children and under-served populations with federal and state legislators, building new partnerships and growing revenues.

Chávez will succeed Thomas J. Gentzel, who is retiring after more than 40 years of service on behalf of school boards. Gentzel has led NSBA for the past seven and a half years.

Read the full press release.

KSBA continues to collect COVID-19 resources pertinent to school boards, helping districts navigate changes in the wake of the current emergency. Visit our resources page for guidance as well as links to trusted state and federal agency coronavirus/COVID-19 information. As always, boards should consult with their board attorneys and finance officers on policy matters.

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April: National School Library Month

April: Child Abuse Prevention Month

April: National Autism Awareness Month

April 20-24: Public School Volunteer Week

April 20-24: Every Kid Healthy Week

May 1: National School Lunch Hero Day

May 4-8: National Teacher Appreciation Week

May 5: National Teacher Appreciation Day

May 6: National School Nurse Day

May 13: KSBA Learn and Earn online training opportunity

June 2: KSBA's 14th Annual Federal & State Law Update Virtual Conference

July 10-11: KSBA's Summer Leadership Institute, Lexington

This edition of KSBA Aware is made possible in part

by the following KSBA Affiliate Members.