The Local School Board Member Advisory Council for the Kentucky Department of Education met Nov. 1 in Frankfort. The council, which includes 13 school board members – seven from each of the state’s judicial districts and six at-large – is charged with advising KDE on how state decisions and initiatives affect local school boards and districts.
Rob Akers, executive director of the Education Professional Standards Board, explains the changes
to the Rank II requirement to members of the Local School Board Member Adivsory Council.
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.
During the discussion on graduation requirements, Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis said that too many high school graduates need to pay for remedial classes in college before they can enroll in credit-bearing classes.
“What that means then is that we’re shifting the cost for education in basic skills from the K-12 level where we are funding that, we’re shifting that cost onto students and parents,” Lewis said.
Oldham County school board member Larry Dodson expressed concern about how quickly the new graduation requirements would be implemented.
“The schools have to prepare for this,” he said.
Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis said he believes the timetable is appropriate because the graduating class of 2023 will be subject to some of the new requirements and the class of 2024 will be subject to the yet-to-be created 10th-grade exit exam.
Nelson County school board member Diane Berry asked KDE officials why the advisory council has been only meeting twice a year instead of the usual four times a year.
“I just feel like we are sort of being left out of the loop by only meeting twice a year,” Berry said.
Associate Commissioner Amanda Ellis said she would look into the change.
“We want you all to have accurate information because you all have big decisions that you will have to make,” she said.