“I get more out of this than listening to someone read for 20 minutes. It’s their chance to show off the highlights of their schools. You see the pride in these children’s faces.” Christian County Board of Education Chairwoman Linda Keller, left, on the new roundtable format for the district’s 17 school councils to make their annual improvement plan reports, a process that included student presenters. From the Hopkinsville Kentucky New Era.
“School districts constitute a specialized industry that requires auditor expertise and training to ensure audit quality. The firms that perform these engagements are primarily local firms with partners who focus on governmental engagements. Depending on the size of the district, there may only be a limited number of firms in Kentucky with the ability to perform a quality audit in a timely and efficient manner.” Portion of a statement by the Kentucky Society of CPAs contesting a recommendation by the State Committee for School District Audits that school boards select a new auditor after five years, regardless of whether there had been audit problems. From the KSBA eNews Service.
“We are unaware of any other school district in southeast Kentucky or of our size that offers its students the opportunity to benefit from community, private and public higher education. We have a great response to our college offerings from Southeast and Union, and this partnership will allow even more students the opportunity to earn dual credit and develop study skills and habits that are necessary for college.” Knox County Schools Superintendent Kelly Sprinkles on a dual-credit agreement with Eastern Kentucky University, similar to its partnerships with Union College and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. From the Corbin Times-Tribune.
“The success speaks for itself and you want to show off those sites that are successful and say, ‘Here are the sites where they are taking care of business.’ It’s a lot of fun to go on the road, though, because a lot of times, this marks the first time we get to meet the superintendent and some of the district’s principals and central office staff, at their home sites. This is where you build relationships.” Kentucky Department of Education Associate Commissioner David Couch on the selection of Murray Independent High School for one of the agency’s remote “ed tech webcasts” on school technology issues. From the Murray Ledger & Times.
“We recognize that social media plays a significant role in the way our students communicate with each other. It is a concern for us, the rapid pace. We are learning to deal with that. So every time we have one of these events, we come back together to see ... what kind of an impact did that have, and what can we do differently to support our students.” Jefferson County Schools psychologist Joe Bargione on a review of the district’s response after a student posted a suicide note online that was seen by other students at school under a limited access policy. From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
“They (KDE) recommend that you only spend 75 percent (of the budget) in wages for teachers. Last year we were at 85 percent and it eats the budget quickly. This year we’re at 80 percent. Next year, when we have to confront the 2 percent (increase), we’ll have to be very careful. One teacher can make a huge difference. The problem is that our enrollment has gone down. Right now, you can’t really get a clear prediction (on next year).” East Bernstadt Independent Schools Superintendent Vickie Jones on budget-balancing challenges faced by her district. From the London Sentinel-Echo.