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People Are Talking

Kentucky School Advocate

December 2017

Actress Jennifer Garner and U.S. Rep Hal Rogers visit a school in Clay County. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers' office)

“Early childhood education and care help lift kids out of poverty, so we must invest in home visiting and literacy programs, like the ones we saw today in eastern Kentucky." – Jennifer Garner (left). The actress using her star power in a mid-October visit to Clay County to promote Save the Children’s work there. She is a member of the organization’s board. From WLEX-TV, Lexington. Click here for full story

“We just don’t have enough supply all over the state to have an ambulance at every athletic contest at every level and still service the traffic accidents and the regular other things that are happening for ambulances.” – Julian Tackett (right). Kentucky High School Athletic Association executive director explaining his agency’s recommendation to station ambulances at every football game – and its real-world limitations. From the Lexington Herald Leader.

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“So if those authorizing a charter school do not have the power to oversee the charter school they create, who does? No one, that’s who. And that’s the point: to allow secretive, unaccountable charter schools, given to mismanagement and corruption, to thrive, as they have in other states.” – Ivonne Rovera. Vice president of research for Save Our Schools Kentucky, in a commentary responding to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ objections to Kentucky’s charter school regulations that give charter school authorizers “broad approval and intervention powers.” From The State Journal, Frankfort.

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“This is absolutely your right to do this, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.” – Gov. Matt Bevin in a Facebook video encouraging students in Kentucky to bring their Bibles to school for the student-led “Bring Your Bible to School Day.” Bevin also declared both 2017 and 2016 the year of the Bible. From the Lexington Herald Leader.

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“We’ll spend the winter here with the heat on and the windows open. We dress in layers.” – Lynn Colegrove. Worthington Elementary fifth-grade teacher on the hard-to-regulate classroom radiators in the Raceland-Worthington Independent school, whose original portion is 90 years old and that will be replaced by a new middle school within 18 months. From the Daily Independent, Ashland.

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Barren Co. Schools Superintendent Bo Matthews

“That’s tall timber, but we’ll get the job done. We have before and we will continue to do so.” – Bo Matthews (right). Barren County Schools superintendent on the difficulty of finding still more ways to trim the district’s budget after multiple years of shrinking revenues. From the Glasgow Daily Times.

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“School districts rely on state education funding to provide Kentucky’s 655,000 public school students with their constitutionally guaranteed education. Any additional reductions jeopardize the ability of districts to provide that education.” – Dr. Stephen Pruitt. The state’s education commissioner explaining why he cut only $23 million and not the $70 million – 17.4 percent – requested by the governor from his agency’s budget. From the Courier Journal, Louisville.

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“As already stated we make any decisions regarding bus routes based upon student safety and that alone. It may be inconvenient to adults, but we are not going to put students at risk to accommodate an adult schedule.” – Steve Miracle. Trimble County Schools superintendent responding to county officials who are upset with the district’s declaration of two county roads as unsafe for school buses. From the Trimble Banner, Bedford.

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“In other words, this issue was settled almost 75 years ago: public school students cannot be forced to participate in patriotic rituals, including reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, saluting the flag, or standing for the national anthem. At the most, schools can require students to sit quietly while others voluntarily participate.” – James Miller and Joe Dunman. Journalism teacher and attorney in citing a 1943 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in response to questions about students “taking a knee” during the national anthem. From the Courier Journal, Louisville.

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“This is a game-changer for west Kentucky. Manufacturers will now have 21st century equipment that is training 21st century employees and we’re ready to go to work today.” – Aaron Collins. Fulton County Schools superintendent at the ceremonial signing of an agreement among western Kentucky school districts and community/technical college for a Work Ready Skills grant-funded project that will enhance educational and workforce training. From the Paducah Sun.

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“If they come to fall-break remediation, they’re not waiting until summer school six months down the road – it’s fresh on their minds.” – Greg Roush. Western Hills High School (Franklin County) principal on his school’s use of fall and winter breaks for remediation for students who are struggling. From The State Journal, Frankfort.

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“I think desperation might help – we need a billion dollars (a year).” – Dan Seum. Republican state senator of Fairdale on the chances of legalizing marijuana in Kentucky, with the resulting new revenue helping pay down the state’s pension fund shortfalls. From Spectrum News, Louisville.

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“If we’re going to use the numbers to inflate the crisis, I don’t think it’s fair to use rosy statistics to sell the new plan. We need to remain realistic – we need to be conservative – but we don’t need to be inflating things to where they have no basis in reality.” – James Kay. Democrat state representative of Versailles reacting to Deputy Finance Secretary Mark Bunning’s infographic projecting earnings from the governor’s proposed defined contribution plan for teachers that used a return rate of 7.5 percent. From The State Journal, Frankfort.

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“You may be asking yourself, ‘Should I worry about proposed pension changes for teachers?’ Well, the answer is a resounding YES!” – Mike Genton. Jenkins Independent Schools superintendent introducing his opinion piece published in his local newspaper, Whitesburg’s Mountain Eagle, followed by his list of the negative effects of those changes. Many superintendents wrote similar op-eds in their local media.

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