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Take Note

Kentucky School Advocate

September 2018

Shelby safety
The Shelby County school district has been recognized for its safety efforts with the Kentucky Center for School Safety’s Steve Kimberling Award for School Safety. The honor was presented during the Kentucky Association of School Administrators’ Annual Leadership Institute July 26, with the district’s school resource officers and administrators on hand (pictured at right) with members of the Kimberling family. The award, given to districts for innovative and proactive solutions for school safety, comes with a $1,500 check.

The KCSS cited the district’s “highly effective systems of communication and emergency management plans” developed under the leadership of Assistant Superintendent Kerry Whitehouse, partnering with first responders in Shelbyville, Simpsonville and Shelby County. Monthly planning meetings include personnel ranging from principals and classified employees to emergency medical services and law enforcement. Businesses and local churches also assist.

The district noted that it has placed a video by Superintendent James Neihof on its website to explain the district’s longstanding safety practices and more recent actions. The district employs two full-time SROs, has installed a Call Alert system to alert first responders in emergencies, beefed up school entry protocol, hosted trainings for staff by law enforcement and drills by first responders, and placed directional compass roses in hallways for emergencies.

Staying competitive
Newport Independent Schools Superintendent Kelly Middleton has published his third book, exploring 21 corporate customer service strategies and applying them to education.

Titled Competing for Kids, the book’s premise is that using these strategies will help public schools remain competitive. It provides real-world examples and includes a training guide for all departments in a public school system, from administration to food service to secretaries.

Middleton has co-authored two other books, Who Cares? and Simply The Best; both are about how public schools systems can deliver customer service.

New publications face
Brenna Kelly, who has written for Kentucky Teacher and other state education department publications, as well as its social media platforms, is KSBA’s new publications manager. Her primary duty at KSBA will be to serve as editor of the Kentucky School Advocate, and she also will edit and write other association materials.

Prior to joining KDE in 2014, Kelly, who lives in Versailles, was a reporter for 11 years for Enquirer Media, where she covered breaking news, K-12 education and Boone County governments and communities. Enquirer Media encompasses the Cincinnati Enquirer, Kentucky Enquirer and Cincinnati.com. Kelly also worked as a reporter for The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune and The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a political science minor from the University of Kentucky.

CBE charts tell the story
The Council for Better Education has produced a series of charts, including the one at left, showing the shifting balance between state and local funding for Kentucky P-12 education over the past decade.

Districts also can tell their own story through the CBE’s data. The organization has broken down the information by district here.