I wrote yesterday about more good news from the Barren Academy of Virtual and Expanded Learning, Kentucky’s totally on line digital learning high school. Barren Academy is for older students, but digital learning is showing it has a place throughout the entire public school program, even in Kindergarten. Over the weekend, the Courier-Press reported that…
Students tell Glasgow Daily Times digital learning fit their career plans better The 2011 valedictorian and salutatorian at the Barren Academy of Virtual and Expanded Learning (BAVEL), Kentucky’s totally on line digital learning high school, recently told the stories of their high school success to the Glasgow Daily Times. BAVEL salutatorian Branson Redford, 18, might…
Fox News reports that technical consultants hired to estimate the impact on coal mining jobs from new EPA streams and waterways rules claim the administration put on pressure to ‘soften’ those job-loss estimates. Steve Gardner, president of Kentucky consulting firm ECSI testified before a House Natural Resources Committee subcommittee in Washington on Friday. Gardner claimed…
The Kentucky Education Association, the dominant teachers’ union in this state, loves to prattle on about how charter schools don’t get enough attention and accountability. While that is nonsense, just listen to what is happening in our traditional public school system that the union so loves. A recent news story says that ‘alternative schools’ that…
Here is the local newspaper’s ‘take’ on comments from our own Jim Waters and others at the recent Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce 2011 Public Policy Series meeting on education. Writes the Messenger: “Kentucky Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Dave Adkisson, Danville Superintendent Carmen Coleman and Bluegrass Institute for Public…
Are some Kentucky school systems using special education classes to cover up shortcomings in their regular education programs? Are some staffers who decide which kids need special education not properly trained and qualified to make those determinations? The disturbing answer to both questions at the November 15, 2011 meeting of the Kentucky Legislature’s Education Assessment…
A group of Kentucky education organizations testified before the Kentucky Legislature’s Interim Joint Education Committee on November 14, 2011 that the tribunal process to review disciplinary actions against Kentucky teachers and other certified school staff “doesn’t seem to work well.” KERA created the tribunal system, which allows any teacher who is disciplined to request a…
This time, its our out of line exclusion of English language learners Questions have already been raised by me and others about Kentucky’s nation-leading exclusion of students with learning disabilities from the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading tests in 2011. Now, Education Week reports that Kentucky is also being spotlighted for abnormally high exclusion…
Two researchers say definitely not, once you consider fringe benefits There is an interesting article in the November 8, 2011 Wall Street Journal from two researchers at the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. According to Heritage’s Jason Richwine and AEI’s Andrew G. Biggs, once you consider the long summer break that teachers enjoy,…
But, not getting value for the money WLKY in Louisville is waking up. They’ve been tracking the huge number of Jefferson County Public School employees who make over $100,000 a year. Not only is the number of high-paid staffers impressive, but it is growing like a fungus. WLKY says just six months ago when it…