People are Talking - Oct. 2014

"Singapore math teaches kids to think mathematically instead of mechanics and memorization. I like to think of it the way you think of a cook and a chef. You can be a very good cook. If you have a recipe to follow, the food will taste very good. A chef can take mystery ingredients that don’t seem to go together and make gourmet meals. Our math in the past made good cooks. They could follow recipes and could do math as long as they had the recipe to follow. Singapore math makes chefs.” Spottsville Elementary (Henderson County) kindergarten teacher Dana Stauffer, pictured at left, on the impact of the district’s new math approach. From the Henderson Gleaner.

 

 

“I just want to encourage our fans, and all the fans in the community, to cheer for their teams but understand that this is still just a high school football game. There’s a lot of kids and family members who will be in the crowd and everyone needs to be respectful to both teams.” Paducah Tilghman High School Coach Mike Rogers stressing sportsmanship prior to the burgeoning rivalry game between his team and that of McCracken Co. High in its second year after consolidation of the county district’s three high schools. From the Paducah Sun. 

“Let’s make sure the BG on these BG-1s doesn’t stand for ‘bad guess.’” Carter County Board of Education member Randy Steagall, during approval of renovations of an elementary school, referring to the board’s ongoing concerns about cost overruns from past construction projects. From the Grayson Journal-Times.

“The STAR results are more specific and a better gauge ... and I don’t recommend dropping it at this time. We’ve really looked at the timing of the tests. A lot of schools are looking at moving the STAR test up.” Simpson County Schools District Assessment Coordinator Shelina Smith during a board discussion on overtesting of students and timing of optional tests used to gather more information on student progress. From the Franklin Favorite.

 

“If we can get our athletes to understand the risks a little bit more, they can make better decisions rather than try to hide it. Getting the coaches to understand the severity of concussions, (that) it’s not just something you shake off, it’s not just something that’s part of sports anymore.” Dr. Matthew Sabin, associate professor of exercise and sport science at Eastern Kentucky University, on his research into concussion injuries by school-age athletes. From the Prestonsburg Floyd County Times.

 

“Whatever the event is that they want to attend, that should capture any request. I have 10 requests on my desk right now that I have to let people know we’re going to or not going to approve these days.” Washington County Schools Superintendent Robin Cochran on her recommendation that the board relax restrictions on how teachers could use approved unpaid leave days. From the Springfield Sun.

 

“I can remember when we never took the increase and the federal monies were flowing. But now that has stopped and the state mandates things we have to cover and provides no funding for it. It is tough and I understand what you’re saying. But unfortunately we have to do it to keep funding the mandates the state will not fund.” Powell County Board of Education member Dian Meadows responding to a citizen’s question about the board’s decision to take the 4 percent revenue increase. From the Clay City Times.

“The state constitution mandates that the state fund education, but they’re not doing it. Local people are having to fund 40 percent of our budget The state is forcing our hand. I would have liked to have delayed the increase until next year. But this puts us in better shape down the road.” Daviess County Board of Education Chairman Frank Riney, summing up the feelings of many his counterparts across the state when voting for additional local taxes this year. From the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.

 

“We pull thousands of gallons of water inside the school, pull the heat out and then release the water back into the river. We were looking for alternative sources other than the well system and it saved us about a million dollars when we put that system in.” Harlan County Schools Superintendent Mike Howard on the high school’s unique hydropowered heating system. From the Hazard WYMT-TV.

 

“I’ve given teachers a tag for willingly volunteering to watch another class. (The teacher tags are) just for helping out and good attitudes. Everybody wants to feel appreciated.” Morningside Elementary School (Elizabethtown Independent) Assistant Principal Dawne Swank on a unique aspect of her school’s use of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, which is a proactive approach to addressing schoolwide behavior. From the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise.

 

“Special needs teachers are stepping out of the classroom and working together in their own PLC (professional learning community) to communicate with parents, to communicate with each other to meet those more challenging needs in the classroom. That is something we weren’t doing in prior years where we are trying to give people time to manage the overwhelming nature of the work. It’s facilitated instruction and that’s how our skills get better. We’ve tried to respond a lot of different ways from the district perspective and the school perspective to try to support teachers.” Nelson County Schools Superintendent Anthony Orr on changes made to respond to needs of special education teachers. From the Bardstown Kentucky Standard.

 

“I’ve had to move practice indoors and that hinders what I can do. I did have to move practices to 7 p.m. in order to get practices in. I’m thankful the Wellness Center is there, so we can move inside if we have to. They take it serious, which is good. They also shorten the race because of the heat. It helps with the heat and keeps them from overheating while running.” Clinton County High School cross country coach Dipesh Soma on dealing with the heat to protect athletes. From the Albany Clinton County News.

“The idea came from a Subaru commercial. A young woman is shown changing a tire. Her father states that he taught her how to change a tire because he wanted her to be safe. This class is about teaching how to handle these kinds of situations and to make sure their vehicles are safe to drive. There are a few girls in the other auto classes, but sometimes female students can feel intimidated in a predominantly male setting. We want them to feel comfortable to learn in a pressure-free environment.” Morgan County Area Technology Center Principal Sanford Holbrook on a semester long auto preventive maintenance class just for female students. From the West Liberty Licking Valley Courier.

 

“I was much more impressed walking through the high school and watching kids use technology more than they ever have in the past. They were using like it was meant to be used and not necessarily at the direction of the teacher. They were actually using it for their needs. It was really impressive.” Franklin County Board of Education member Doug Crowe on a personal observation of the one-to-one laptop-to-student initiative at a high school. From the Frankfort State Journal.

“We will still offer the same school nursing services as before, but we’ll be able to add additional services that will greatly benefit our students.” Russell County Schools Superintendent Michael Ford on an agreement with a local medical firm to place a health center in each of the district’s five schools. From the Russell Springs News-Register.