Innovative energy
The Daviess County school district has received the 2012 Community Award for Innovation from LG&E and Kentucky Utilities in recognition of its energy management program. The district was nominated for the statewide award by its local utility, Kenergy. Kenergy officials visited the district’s newest school, West Louisville Elementary, to view the most recent energy saving designs.
“Energy management is not something new for us – we’ve always looked at it,” said Jim Barr, the district’s construction facilitator and safety coordinator. The innovation award was presented to district representatives April 19 during the annual spring meeting of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development.
Compounding Cadre
KSBA’s Training Cadre has been expanded, just as the association is launching a new phase of its Unbridled Learning training series. Hancock County school board member Allen Kennedy and Fayette County board member Melissa Bacon have been added to the trainer roster. Kennedy also sits on the KSBA Board of Directors.
The Cadre, begun in 2006, consists of current and former school board members and educators, trained to facilitate training sessions for school board/superintendent teams on various topics, either during KSBA conferences or on site in local districts. Their own annual training event in March focused on facilitation of the second module of the KSBA Unbridled Learning series: Unbridled Learning: Assessment for Next-Generation Learners.
The new module is designed for board teams to continue exploring education reform in Kentucky that began with the 2009 Senate Bill 1. It will help participants better understand how the leadership roles of the school board help prepare students and the community for the new state assessments and their results.
The veteran members of the Cadre are Bell County board member Arlene Burnett, Gallatin County board member Rebecca Burgett, Woodford County board member Margie Cleveland, former KSBA Executive Director David Keller, McLean County board member Bill Lovell and former Glasgow and Raceland-Worthington independent systems board member Bill Sadler.
High profile
The KSBA Board of Directors will be doing some profiling – of themselves. The process is similar to the one undertaken two years ago that produced a “profile” of what is involved in general school board service in Kentucky.
In this case, members of the KSBA Board will spell out the duties and tasks involved in serving in any of the association’s elected leadership roles. Over the next few months, they will work to identify the critical duties, responsibilities and tasks involved in serving on the association’s leadership body.
“The goal is to detail what is involved in effectively serving as an officer, a director-at-large and a regional chairperson,” said Kerri Schelling, KSBA’s director of board team development and the lead staff person on the initiative, who also oversaw the earlier profile.
Legal impact
The premier annual update of state and federal education laws for school leaders is just around the corner. KSBA’s Sixth Annual Federal & State Law Update: Impact on Your School District will be May 10-11 at Lexington’s Marriott Griffin Gate Resort.
Sessions will review new laws stemming from the 2012 session of the Kentucky General Assembly, updates in state and federal regulations, new case law, policy and procedure update recommendations and highlights of Opinions of the Attorney General. Other topics encompass financial pitfalls, recognizing child abuse and volunteer issues. For registration information and more details, click here.