Kentucky School Advocate
December 2018
Simpson (County) Elementary students wanted to know why their playground was always wet, even when the sun was shining, so their library media specialist asked them to find the answer. The quest to solve the water problem is teaching students about science, technology and leadership, which they used to present the problem to the board of education.
When newly elected school board members are sworn in, more than half the boards in the state will have at least one new member. In all, 143 new people will join Kentucky school boards; 83 percent of incumbents are keeping their seats.Remember when? Educators pledged to Remember in November, but the 2018 election results showed that they may have forgotten. With 53 candidates with education ties on the ballot, only 14 were successful. See who made it and what their victories mean for the next legislative session. Building pathwaysThe Meade County school board invested $20 million to double in size its area technology center and expand the number of career pathways offered. The Meade County College and Career Center, which doubles as a college campus for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, has earned the district the 2018 Fall PEAK Award.E-cig concerns With e-cigarettes use among students now at epidemic levels, a rise that coincides with introduction of flavored pod e-cigarettes, a coalition of health and education advocacy groups has planned a conference to explore the latest evidence about e-cigarettes’ health impact and to release a report about youth attitudes and perceptions about e-cigarettes.
The Local School Board Member Advisory Council for the Kentucky Department of Education met Nov. 1 in Frankfort. The council discussed the new graduation requirements proposal, the changes to Rank II certification for teachers, the department’s Districts of Innovation initiative and changes to the Non-Traditional Instructional Day program.