Kentucky School Advocate
December 2022
Local school board member advisory council
The Kentucky Department of Education’s Local School Board Member Advisory Council (LSBMAC) has voted to restructure the council and change the meeting cadence to increase participation.
The LSBMAC met virtually Nov. 9 where David Cook, KDE’s director of innovative learning, explained they had worked with KSBA Executive Director Kerri Schelling to have the council meet during KSBA’s three annual training events.
Going forward the council will meet before Winter Symposium, Annual Conference and Summer Leadership Institute.
Before the vote, Madison County board member Brandon Rutherford asked whether Education Commissioner Jason Glass would continue to attend the meetings as he does when they are held in Frankfort.
“I believe one of the best parts of these councils is having him there and being able to ask him questions,” Rutherford said. Glass said he plans to prioritize attending the meetings.
The LSBMAC consists of 13 members, with one member representing each of the seven judicial districts in the state. There are also six at-large members. The judicial district representatives serve a single two-year term. Beginning July 1 of this year, six at-large members shall be appointed to two-year terms expiring on June 30, 2024. Subsequent at-large terms will begin on July 1 of even numbered years. Members cannot seek consecutive terms but may be re-appointed after sitting out one term.
Beginning with the 2022-2023 council year, at least two members will also be members of KSBA’s board of directors.
Kentucky United We Learn Council has 67 members
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has released the names of the 67 people who have been asked to serve on the new Kentucky United We Learn Council.
The council will support United We Learn, the state’s vision for the future of public education in Kentucky. This vision builds around three big ideas: creating a more vibrant experience for every student, encouraging innovation in our schools – especially when it comes to assessment – and creating a bold new future for Kentucky’s schools through collaboration with local communities.
“We hope as we move ahead with this work, our schools, districts and KDE will continue to foster more and deeper relationships with families and their communities to find which best practices can keep education improving in the Commonwealth,” Education Commissioner Jason Glass said.
Those named to the council include educators, administrators, family members, students and community members from across Kentucky. Several school board members and superintendents are included on the council.
• Becky Burgett, community, Kentucky School Boards Association, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Gallatin County school board member
• Robin Cochran, superintendent, Washington County Schools
• Hannah Edelen, former educator and now student, University of Kentucky, newly elected Covington Independent school board member
• Travis Hamby, superintendent, Allen County Schools
• Julie Pile, community, Boone County school board member
The effort is supported with funds from the 2022 Competitive Grants for State Assessments from the U.S. Department of Education, which will help advance innovations to move the state’s assessment and accountability system toward a competency-based model.