Kentuckians rule at NSBA
What may be a record number of Kentuckians will be presenting at the National School Boards Association’s annual meeting this spring. In addition to the bumper crop of workshops, the session will be marked by the ascension of the first Kentucky school board member to the presidency of the organization. Boone County board member and past KSBA president Ed Massey officially takes the helm during the April 21-23 conference in Boston.
School districts presenting during the conference are Mason County Schools, on World Class Customer Service: Is It Possible in Public Schools?; Boone County Schools, leading Formula for the Future: How One District Transformed Math Education, Ensuring All Students Are Ready for College and Careers; Montgomery County Schools presenting Superintendent and Board Relationships: Partnering to Create Dramatic Improvement in Student Achievement; Taylor County Schools on Implementation and Strategies Needed for a Performance-Based Education School District; and Jefferson County Schools leading two sessions, one titled Testing! Testing! 1-2-3 and the other Technology Integration: Beyond The How!
KSBA also is doing its part, with Board Team Development Director Kerri Schelling leading sessions on 21st Century Board Meetings and Common Core Standards: Local Board Roles and Responsibilities; Member Support Services Director Brad Hughes presenting When Pigs Fly: Building Athletic-like Community Support for Your Academic Endeavors, and Socially Speaking: Using Facebook and Twitter to Spread the Good News About Your District; Risk Management Director Myron Thompson with From the Court to the Courts: Safety and Liability Issues in Athletics; KSBA’s eMeeting Team presenting 21st Century Board Meetings; and a joint KSBA-NSBA session on Developing Successful Media Relations and Community Outreach Strategies.
Promises, promises
Students in Clay, Jackson and Owsley county school districts will benefit from a grant of up to $30 million to Berea College. The U.S. Department of Education awarded the five-year grant to the college as part of the Promise Neighborhood program, which is aimed at providing children support both inside and outside the classroom. Berea College was one of only five recipients nationwide.
The funding will be used to improve the educational achievement and the overall health and safety of students in those three districts, along with expanding Internet access and technology and increasing family involvement in learning.
Longevity lauded
Five KSBA employees were honored in December for reaching high-water marks in their service to the association. From left they are: Administrative Assistant II/Policy Update Coordinator Carol Ann Jehnsen, 15 years; Publications Coordinator Jennifer Wohlleb, 10 years; Associate Executive Director David Baird, five years; Legal and Administrative Services Administrative Assistant Jolene Shearer, five years; and School-Based Health Services Manager Stephanie Aldridge, 15 years.