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Southgate Independent students look at books during the district's "Big Bag of Books" event. (Photo courtesy of Southgate Independent Schools)

Kentucky School Advocate

July/August 2017

"The look on the children’s faces when filling their bags was priceless. They were so excited to find the little treasures on the library tables. The goal is to hold a ‘Big Bag of Books Event’ every year in Southgate so our children will continue to get books for their personal libraries. Today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders.” Southgate Independent Schools Superintendent Greg Duty on the district’s “Big Bag of Books” year-end event in which nearly 1,200 books were given to students to encourage reading over the summer break. From the Edgewood Northern Kentucky Tribune. Click here for full story

Pendleton County school board member Karen Delaney

“Not to remedy the issues at hand and complete the conversion to a new salary schedule only delays the inevitable – more quality teachers leaving to take jobs in better paying districts around us. Not to act is to kick the proverbial can down the road. And each time we do that the can gets bigger. The inequities within the cells will remain and the disparity with surrounding districts will grow. Our staff loses, our students lose, we as a community lose.” Pendleton County Board of Education member Karen Delaney on the board’s action to increase the district’s salary schedule to remain competitive. From the Falmouth Outlook. Click here for full story

“I think it would be good to let them see this. We can also let all the staff know that if we hadn’t had an increase in insurance then it’s likely they would have gotten a two percent raise.” East Bernstadt Independent Board of Education member Jim Sutton in support of an awareness-raising effort for employees after a small number of workers’ compensation claims increased the cost of insurance for the coming school year. From the London Sentinel-Echo. Click here for full story

“This is a standard problem that we have across the state. The (response at FCPS) is ‘Well, we can’t do that,’ but somebody has. Jessamine County has 13 technicians, Hart has four [digital learning coaches], Henderson has six technicians … It’s a matter of priority.” Franklin County Schools Chief Information Officer Jimmy Pack in asking the board for additional resources to deal with the district’s growing use of classroom and individual student technology. From the Frankfort State Journal. Click here for full story

“It’s allowed us to educate families on options and services that are available, which ultimately, as we all hope, is going to further their education, which is probably the greatest asset that they could ever have.” Summit Elementary School (Boyd County) Principal Ben Maynard on the benefits of the first seven months of walk-in medical clinics, a partnership between a local hospital and the Ashland Independent, Boyd County, Carter County and Fairview Independent districts. From the Ashland Daily Independent. Click here for full story

“I may not have agreed with everything they did or all the decisions they made, but I know it can’t be easy to make cuts the way they had to do. The district is better because of the tough decisions they had to make.” Fleming County Board of Education member Sandy Faris giving some credit to her predecessors on the board for actions that played a role in the district being released from state assistance status after three years. From the Maysville Ledger-Independent. Click here for full story

“I think we may have to change some of our policy and procedures to tighten up on some things. How many excuses are legit at a certain school? There’s certain laws already in effect. Maybe we need to work with our court system better. There are a lot of things we need to look at. We’ve got to work better with parents to help them understand.” Powell County Schools Superintendent Michael Tate on how student attendance and state SEEK funding affect the district’s abilities to cover operating costs. From the Clay City Times. Click here for full story

“I always said it would be great if we didn’t have to intervene. If we didn’t have to play catch up with the students, we could start with a level playing field. Now we can.” Mary A. Goetz Elementary principal Jason Steffen on improving kindergarten readiness data, which he attributed to the Ludlow Independent Board of Education’s decision to move from half-day to all-day kindergarten. From the Covington River City News. Click here for full story

“We developed two completely different sets of high school drawings before the final plan emerged. The plan we decided on includes elements from each of the schools we visited. The high school students, staff and community committee members played a key role in the final design. We appreciate all their work and input.” Morgan County Board of Education Chairman Marshall Jenkins on the role public input played in design decisions for a new high school for the district. From the West Liberty Licking Valley Courier. Click here for full story

“What we want to do as we move forward is to make sure we seek the input and the advice of the community from whom we’re getting the feedback. Could I sit in my office and make a lot of plans? Yes, but I don’t think that’s what the community wants, that’s not what the community needs, and that’s not what we’re going to do.” Nelson County Schools Superintendent Anthony Orr explaining plans for a series of community forums to discuss issues ranging from school safety and student discipline to academics. From the Bardstown Nelson County Gazette. Click here for full story

“When I first started at Crab Orchard Elementary School, I had a tremendous amount of Title I funds to take care of a lot of things. Those funds are starting to dwindle away. Those came from the federal level. So then, our state started to say, ‘We’ve got to keep those services up’ so they would mandate things to take place in the school district and then say, ‘All right, since we can’t fund you, you take care of yourself inside the local district.’” Lincoln County Schools Chief Systems Officer Jim Ward during a discussion of district finances and a possible nickel tax to improve facilities. From the Stanford Interior-Journal. Click here for full story

“As a teacher, it’s not just day in and day out teaching the kids. If your kids aren’t healthy – if they don’t have their needs met – you can’t teach them. And this is one way we can meet their needs in the summer time. I know not all kids in our community need it, but it never hurts to offer that help for everyone.” Caneyville Elementary School teacher Nicole Peters on the district’s new “Meals on the Bus” project, using a retrofitted surplus bus as a mobile cafeteria for delivering summer meals to students. From the Bowling Green WBKO-TV. Click here for full story

“There’s nothing wrong with being angry. It’s what we do with it. It channels their energy into a better place. I’m helping students who need help. That’s my goal.” New Highland Elementary School (Hardin County) Assistant Principal Chalis Packer on her daily morning “mindfulness” meditation and yoga sessions with a group of students to handle their own behavior challenges. From the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise. Click here for full story

“The best ideas won’t come from government, but it will take their support to make things work. There is not one solution, and there’s not one without flaws, but someone has to step out with ideas. That’s what drove the project.” Owen County High School sophomore Audrey Lewis on a community forum, designed and conducted by members of a civics club project-based learning exercise on economic development issues. From the Owenton News-Herald. Click here for full story

“It’s like they looked at it as ‘It’s just a bunch of kids,’ but, if we’re going to get through this, it’s going to take everyone, and we’re going to have to grow closer as a community.” Fellow Owen County High School sophomore Madeline Shelton on the event, which was precipitated in part by the impending loss of 400 jobs when a local manufacturing plant that is the community’s largest employer closes in 2018. From the Owenton News-Herald. Click here for full story