June 2017
Collateral damageThe statistics in the opioid epidemic focus on numbers of drug abusers, arrests and naloxone doses. But the effects are also felt by the children of the addicted – who bring the burdens of family life with them to school. What does that look like at the classroom level?
Districts are reaching out to children whose families are affected by the opioid epidemic in different ways, many times spearheading efforts to support them.
“Gates” open for closing gapsThanks to a grant from the Gates Foundation, seven school districts are working through KSBA and the Prichard Committee to more closely examine their achievement gaps, thereby coming up with strategies to close them. The work ultimately could help other districts.
A first for energyA good-sized crowd gathered for KSBA’s Inaugural Energy Summit in May to learn about everything from energy-efficient lighting to solar energy. Attendees learned more from top industry experts, power company executives and state officials about how energy trends are affecting schools.
It was hands-on learning at the Energy Summit, as two on-site tours of energy-efficient buildings were offered, including one at a Jefferson County elementary school.
Drone races: Challenging fun today for competitive workforce tomorrow
Education and economic development are being co-promoted by the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative, starting with a day-long series of obstacle course/time trial races this spring in Hazard. KVEC Executive Director Jeff Hawkins said the initiative is linked to a proposed “world drone port” designed to attract related technology companies – and jobs – to the region.