New state board member
Education consultant Nawanna B. Privett of Lexington has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the Kentucky Board of Education. She will fill the unexpired term, ending April 14, 2014, of C.B. Akins Sr., who resigned. Privett, a former Fayette County elementary school principal, was one of the state’s first highly skilled educators. She also served in higher education as a visiting assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Education and was director of UK’s Collaborative Center for Literacy Development.
Privett also has been a member of the Education Professional Standards Board’s 2010 Committee to Review Superintendent Programs and has co-chaired UK’s Women & Philanthropy Network.
Exemplary employer
Simpson County Schools made the 2012 list of Best Places to Work in Kentucky, the only school system to be singled out. The district was ranked 36 out of 37 employers in the “Large Companies” category with 250 or more employees. The honors are sponsored by the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The list recognizes commitment to encouraging companies in the Commonwealth to “focus, measure and move their workplace environments toward excellence.”
The selection process is based on an assessment of the company’s employee policies and procedures and the results of an internal employee survey, administrated by Best Companies Group.
Go green, get ribbon
Three Kentucky schools were among the 78 nationwide awarded the first-ever Green Ribbon Schools honor by the U.S. Department of Education. The award recognizes schools for their “comprehensive approach to creating ‘green’ environments through reducing environmental impact, promoting health, and ensuring a high-quality environmental and outdoor education to prepare students with the 21st century skills and sustainability concepts needed in the growing global economy.”
The three Kentucky schools are Warren County’s Richardsville Elementary, which is the nation’s first net zero school; Scott County’s Georgetown Middle School; and Rosa Parks Elementary in Fayette County.
Reminder: Summer schedule
The next issue of the Kentucky School Advocate is a combined July-August issue that will include coverage of KSBA’s Summer Leadership Institute as well as other stories and regular features. Look for it in your mail the first week of August.
Energy saver salute
The 35 school energy managers who have worked to save money in 130 school districts for the past nearly two years were honored in April as the School Energy Managers Project drew to a close. Managers received certificates of recognition at a reception that included officials from the governor’s office, Education Commissioner Terry Holliday and KSBA leaders. The program, funded with federal stimulus dollars that have now expired, produced nearly $13 million in immediate and long-term savings.
The 35 energy managers, plus two energy efficiency coordinators, were hired by coalitions of school districts in all areas of the state. SEMP has been administered by KSBA in conjunction with the state Department of Energy Development and Independence.