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Bill to restrict cellphones in class advances

The House Education Committee passed a bill on Tuesday that would require school boards to adopt a policy restricting cellphone use in schools.

House Bill 383, filed by Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, would require the board policy to ban cellphone use during instructional time unless there’s an emergency or the teacher directs students to use their phone for an instructional purpose.

According to KSBA’s Policy staff, all school districts already have policies that address cellphone use (09.4261). Most districts’ policies permit devices to be turned on and operated only before and after the regular school day, during the student’s lunch break, and during instructional time only when allowed by a certified staff member or if there is an emergency.

Bray said he understands that some districts have policies regarding phones but that the new law would strengthen them.

“It just kind of gives the teacher the support in the classroom because now the administration kind of has to have their back,” he said.

Rep. Steve Riley, R-Glasgow, a former school administrator, warned that keeping cellphones from students is harder than it sounds.

“Kids are very addicted to their phones,” he said. “In fact, in many ways, this is going to be a bloody bath for teachers to deal with this. Just another difficult thing they’re going to have to deal with, because it's bad.”

The bill passed the committee unanimously. 

Lawmakers plan to study the SEEK formula

A resolution to study the Support Excellence in Education in Kentucky (SEEK) education funding formula passed the House Education Committee on Tuesday.

Rep. Timmy Truett, R-McKee, said he took up the mantle of studying the SEEK formula at House leadership’s urging.

“They kind of threw out a challenge and I’m one of these people that I love a challenge and they threw out a challenge and said, ‘you know, we talk about fixing it, we talk about doing this, we talk about doing that, but nobody’s volunteered to kind of just take it by the horns,’” he said. “I was like, ‘well I think I will.’”

The resolution, HCR 60, says that the membership of the task force will include:

• Three members of the House appointed by the speaker of the House
• Three members of the Senate appointed by the Senate president
• One member of the House appointed by the Minority floor leader
• One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority floor leader
• The education commissioner or his or her designee.
• The task force co-chairs can appoint up to six non-voting members subject to approval by the Senate president and speaker of the House.

Committee Chairman Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, who chaired the School Funding Task Force in 2021, offered his assistance.

“I believe probably the most difficult issue to resolve is our changing demographics in the state,” Tipton said. “We’re seeing population losses in certain areas, other areas are seeing increases in population, which has resulted in a lot of variety in the appraisal value of real estate, which has a direct impact on how the SEEK formula works. That’s going to be a tough nut to crack.”

The resolution passed unanimously. 

Annual Conference early bird, hotel deadlines approaching

KSBA's 2024 Annual Conference is a little less than a month away (March 1-3), but those wishing to take advantage of early bird registration and special rate hotel accommodations have until tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 8, to register. Save $50 and gain access to reduced-rate hotel rooms at the Galt House by signing up today!

After Thursday, the cost of registration goes up and the special rate for Galt House Hotel rooms will expire.

More than 700 school board members and district administrators have already registered for #KSBA24. Don’t miss one of Kentucky’s largest annual gatherings of education leaders. If you have not done so already, click the blue button below to begin registration, or you may view/download a print-friendly schedule with clinic session descriptions. 

Annual Conference keynote speakers

KSBA is excited to unveil the slate of keynote presenters for this year’s conference.

KSBA welcomes 13-year-old Orion Jean as the Friday keynote speaker. Orion’s pursuit of kindness is fueled by a simple mantra: “If you see a problem, fix it.” After winning a national kindness speech contest, Orion used his prize money to start the “Race to Kindness” campaign. His initiatives include the “Race to 500 Toys,” “Race to 100,000 Meals” and “Race to 500,000 Books” and he is the author of “A Kids Book About Leadership” and "Race to Kindness." In this powerful address, Orion will discuss what the next generation needs from adults to build a brighter future for all. Drawing from his experiences and insights as a young changemaker, Orion illuminates the next generation’s challenges. He offers practical insights and actionable steps to support their growth and development.

In a time where schools nationwide continue to grapple with a mental health crisis, the need for robust comprehensive school mental health systems has never been more pressing. Jennifer Ulie, former school board member and school mental health expert, shares her own experiences with trauma and the crucial role schools played in her survival. KSBA’s Saturday keynote address highlights the stark realities of mental health in our educational systems: increased rates of anxiety, depression and suicide among students, and the stress and burnout among teachers that has resulted in historic numbers leaving the profession. Ulie will demystify practical strategies for school boards to address these challenges and explore evidence-based approaches to meet the social and emotional health needs of students, families and educators. This session is more than an informative talk; it's a call to action!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming one of the most transformative innovations of our lifetime. But it is not just a technology; incredible applications in health and education are two of the greatest beneficiaries. Pete Martinez, an international entrepreneur with real-life experience in the development of some of the most advanced applications of AI, will share in non-technical terms the fundamentals and challenges of AI in our society. Conference attendees will kick off the final day of conference with this interactive, informative and thought-provoking session.           

KBE to meet today

The Kentucky Board of Education will meet at 9 a.m. today in Frankfort. The agenda includes a update on the education commissioner search, the approval of a request for proposals for a statewide reading research center, a legislative update and a report of the state of career and technical education in Kentucky.

The board also will present the Kevin C. Brown Strategic Priority Award. This year the award will recognize a school or district that has made it a priority to support the successful adoption and implementation of a portrait of a learner.

See the full agenda and watch the meeting live. 

Submit your district's student banner by Feb. 14

Student involvement is at the heart of what makes KSBA events a success. We invite school districts to once again submit student-designed banners.

KSBA will display banner artwork depicting the association's 2024 theme, "Keys to Success." We encourage each district to submit a student-designed banner for display at conference. Banner artwork (submitted digitally) will be featured in conference communications, displayed in a gallery at the event, printed in a commemorative conference booklet and more! 

See instructions and guidelines for student banner art submissions. 

The deadline to submit banner artwork for the 2024 Annual Conference is Feb. 14.

Questions about student banners may be directed to [email protected] or call (800) 372-2962.

Survey says educators feel more optimistic, challenges remain 

More of Kentucky’s educators are feeling more positive about the teaching profession, the 2023 Impact Kentucky Working Conditions Survey shows. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) on Tuesday released results from the survey, which asks certified school staff questions about their working conditions.

The 2023 Impact Kentucky Survey (formerly TELL Kentucky), which is administered every two years, asks certified educators working at least half-time to provide input on teaching conditions that can then be used to inform improvements within schools, districts and statewide.

Educators responded 78% favorably to questions about staff-leadership relationships, 2% higher than the previous report. The greatest increase was in emotional well-being and belonging – a 7% increase. 

A total of 34% of educators reported a favorable response regarding the emotional well-being of their colleagues because of their work, and 55% reported a favorable response regarding their own emotional well-being. 

“Last survey, we clearly saw the strong effects the pandemic had on educators and the system. The current survey offers encouragement with all areas of data moving in a positive direction, but KDE and districts must continue to value feedback from all stakeholders,” said KDE Associate Commissioner Byron Darnall.

Interim Commissioner of Education Robin Fields Kinney said these survey results show important improvements and areas that are still in need of support.

“Our educators are working to create a better future for Kentuckians and their students,” she said. “It’s important to review the results so the department, districts, schools and families can know where they can make a change to encourage growth within the education field, as well as provide support for those already in it.”

A total of 50% of educators said they have adequate school resources, while 86% of educators said the quality of resources at their school needs to improve.

The full 2023 report and results can be viewed on the Impact Kentucky website. The results are open to the public and include statewide, district and school-specific results. The survey was administered by Panorama Education, in partnership with KDE. 

Superintendent Searches

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

LaRue County Schools

Application deadline: Feb. 12, 2024

Daviess County Schools

Application deadline: Feb. 25, 2024

Union County Schools

Application deadline: March 3, 2024

Bracken County Schools

Application deadline: March 8, 2024

Feb. 5-9: FRYSC Appreciation Week

Feb. 5-9: National School Counseling Week

Feb. 8: Senate Education Committee

Feb. 13: House Education Committee

Feb. 13: KDE Superintendents Webcast

Feb. 22-25: COSSBA Annual Conference

Feb. 26-March 1: Public Schools Week

March 1-3: KSBA Annual Conference

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