One of the big highlights at today’s meeting of the Kentucky Board of Education was an eye-catching presentation from the outstanding folks at AdvanceKentucky, the privately funded effort to vastly increase the opportunity for Kentucky’s public school students to take Advanced Placement courses in Math, Science and English (MSE). Advance Kentucky Presentation Team (L to…
Jefferson County citizens want a new superintendent who knows how to turn around failing schools and who can deal with the bullying which is now becoming a major issue. WAVE-3 has the details on what citizens are saying to the school board here.
So, why do we only have one? Technically, it’s a unique institution. However, the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University operates a lot like charter schools found in other states. Gatton is a school of choice. Students from anywhere in Kentucky can select Gatton instead of the ‘resides’ school they normally…
THE THIRD GRADE! Psst: Age 18 dropout laws probably won’t fix this! “Third grade is a kind of pivot point,” says Donald J. Hernandez, sociology professor at Hunter College, at the City University of New York. “We teach reading for the first three grades and then after that children are not so much learning to…
Great news! A news release passed along by the Kentucky Department of Education says the Bluegrass State is about to get its first group of Teach for America (TFA) teachers. They are heading for some of our most demanding Appalachian area schools. Who are these teachers? They are graduates from some of the nation’s most…
Governor Steve Beshear treated the Boone County Education Foundation to nonsense education statistics a few days ago. As reported by the Kentucky Enquirer in “Beshear touts education,” the governor touted Kentucky’s supposed dramatic improvement in the federal National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) testing program compared to other states. Well, as we’ve pointed out before,…
In an encouraging sign that citizens are starting to take more interest in their schools, Education Week reports (subscription?) that local Tea Parties are starting to get involved in local school board races. This marks an important change in the conduct of school board races, which in the past have often been dominated by teachers’…
It’s becoming a typical pattern for Jefferson County Public Schools – dispute every number that shows you are doing poorly instead of digging in to make changes that improve things. Fox41 reports Jefferson County tops the state for the most problems in a new report on school safety. Fox also says Jack Jacobs, a spokesperson…
In an April 1, 2011 story that, while factual, may be a horrible April Fools joke on the students in Jefferson County, the Courier-Journal reports: “JCPS restaffing at 3 failing schools draws renewed warning from Kentucky education chief.” Very simply, the Kentucky Commissioner of Education is warning the Jefferson County Schools that the way they…
So says the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Education Organization (CEO). Unfortunately, adult interests are overriding the best interests of students and parents in the struggle to educate our youth. The CEO also points out: “Too many of our legislators talk about children and the need for better education, but are more worried about supporting the adult groups…