BOARD NAMES NOLAND AS INTERIM EDUCATION COMMISSIONER

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – At its retreat today, the Kentucky Board of Education selected Kevin Noland to serve as interim education commissioner. Noland will serve during the time between the departure of current Interim Education Commissioner Elaine Farris and the selection of a permanent commissioner.

The board is in the midst of the search process for a new commissioner, and Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc., of Florida is conducting the search. The timeline will culminate with the hiring of a new commissioner in August.

Farris, who has served as interim commissioner since the retirement of Education Commissioner Jon Draud in December 2008, has accepted the position of superintendent of the Clark County school district. She will begin her new duties on July 1.

Noland retired from the Kentucky Department of Education in 2008. He served as legal counsel, associate commissioner and deputy commissioner during his employment. Noland also served as interim commissioner three times previously.

Details, including salary and benefits, of Noland’s employment have not yet been finalized.
The board also took action on two additional items during its retreat:
· agreed to move school council authority at Two Rivers Middle School in the Covington Independent school district to the superintendent of the district
· gave approval to 703 KAR 5:080 (emergency and ordinary versions) to implement revisions required by Senate Bill 1
· agreed to insert language in the Kentucky High School Athletics Association’s Bylaw 33 that would prevent a member school, student, coach or administrator from being punished or sanctioned if a student is allowed to play in an athletic contest or practice with a team if a court order permits the student to do so

The board’s next regular meeting is June 10-11 in Frankfort.

SOURCE: KDE press release

New Search Firm Twice as Expensive ...as that Bad One

The Kentucky Board of Education spent $60,000 searching for Commissioners in 2007. Ray & Associates was hired for the ill-fated search that produced Barbara Erwin and the board conducted its own search before hiring Jon Draud.

Now the board will pay Greenwood/Asher & Associates Inc., a Florida-based consulting firm, $120,000 to guide a new search for another education commissioner, the third since Gene Wilhoit resigned in November 2006. Greenwood/Ashher is the same firm that placed President Lee Todd at UK in 2001, and President Jim Votruba at NKU in 1997. The CPE paid them $130,000 to help search for its new president, Robert King, who was hired in December.

Board of Education chair, Joe Brothers told C-J's Toni Konz he's not frustrated about having to pay more for a new search.

"No, it's not really a frustration," he said. "It's a disappointment in some ways … but that is par for the course."

Greenwood/Asher's President and CEO Jan Greenwood told C-J her firm will recruit potential candidates and place advertisements in statewide and national publications, perform background checks, interview references and help the board conduct interviews.

This is all well and good. But it is no substitute for the board doing some extra digging on their own when it reaches the finalist stage.

KSN&C has had a couple of off-the-record conversations that convince us that board members are plenty sensitive to the errors of the past and are dedicated to a better process this time around. But just in case, and assuming finalists will be named (as we hear they will be) KSN&C will be doing some of its own vetting as well.

This from the State Journal:

Kentucky Board of Education members plan to put an education commissioner in place by Aug. 1, Chairman Joe Brothers said after meeting with the group’s search firm Wednesday.

According to a tentative search schedule, the board could review potential candidates in early June, followed by two rounds of interviews on June 23 and 24, and July 8, 9 or 10....

After the meeting, Brothers told reporters the board doesn’t have a preference for an in-state or out-of-state candidate.

“There’s a preference to get the very best for Kentucky’s kids,” he said.

He said the recent passage of Senate Bill 1, which does away with the state’s Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, shows Kentucky is “stepping up” and could present a good opportunity for the right candidate.

Board members had suggestions Wednesday for what that candidate would look like. Several said they hope he or she has experience in the classroom, but members agreed that the next commissioner could come from outside the education field.

Board member Billy Harper, a western Kentucky businessman, said he hopes to hire an “innovator” like University of Kentucky President Lee Todd.

“He came - not out of the education world - having that dream for UK, willing to do what it takes to move the university forward,” he said. ...

Lawmakers may be close on testing

This from Ronnie Ellis in the Glasgow Daily Times:

Work on accountability compromise

The state’s public schools accountability testing system, CATS, may have run out of lives as key lawmakers appear close to a compromise on its replacement.

The Republican controlled Senate has passed Senate Bill 1, which would replace the time consuming, controversial testing system with a simpler, less expensive multiple choice test. But they’ve done that in past sessions only to see it go nowhere in the Democratic controlled House. But the landscape has changed in the House with the selection of Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, as Speaker, and he’s been more willing to discuss changes to the testing system.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Dan Kelly, R-Springfield, said there’s “been a sea change in attitudes about the need to make adjustments in the test.”

Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, concedes it’s time to adjust the test, but he doesn’t want to rely solely on a multiple choice test – especially what is known as a norm-referenced test. Such tests compare student performance to that of students from across the country – as opposed to criterion or standards based tests, which measure how much a student knows against established standards of knowledge.

Sharron Oxendine, president of the Kentucky Education Association, said many teachers prefer a multiple choice, “norm-reference” test, but KEA wants to retain a standards based component to any new test.

She said norm reference tests are fine for comparison purposes but they don’t help with assessment because they don’t measure what students specifically know. And such tests, she pointed out, are designed so that half of all students score at the 50th percentile or below. So schools can never place most of their students at the proficiency level on such tests...

Both the right and the left have taken shots at former Commissioner Jon Draud for either too much or not enough of something or other. OK, there was the car thing. But his Task Force on Assessment that was said, by some, to have produced no good, seems to have produced some good. No matter how one views the testing situation, perhaps we should ask ourselves; Until recently, when is the last time we heard cooperation like this out of Frankfort?

Kelly said universities are “reaching out and starting a dialogue with school districts,” helping them prepare their students for college level work.

Nearly everyone said discussions between Senate leaders, including Kelly and Sen. Ken Winters, R-Murray, who sponsored SB 1, and House members over their differences are going well.

Rep. Carl Rollins, D-Midway, chairs the House Education Committee. He said Thursday, “We’re real close to an agreement. I’m very optimistic.”

Included in discussions about how to re-craft the state’s testing system have been school board members, superintendents and Oxendine and KEA. Rollins said for the most part, all the parties “are pretty much on the same page.”

8,296 miles and in "excellent condition."

This from Toni Konz at C-J:

State to try again to auction Draud's car on Ebay

First effort on eBay came up short

The state is trying for a second time to sell the car of former Education Commissioner Jon Draud on eBay -- after no one met the reserve price the first time.

The starting bid for the 2008 Chrysler 300 -- purchased at Draud's request last year -- was $10,000. As of late yesterday there had been seven bids and the highest was $19,600.

The first time "we received quite a few bids on it, but they did not meet the reserve so it did not sell," said Deputy Finance Secretary Glenn Mitchell. "We lowered the reserve a bit, added more of a description and put it back on eBay."

The listing will run through Friday, unless it sells before then, Mitchell said.

Draud, 70, initially said he would reimburse taxpayers for the car, which he ordered with $13,000 in add-ons...

...Joe Brothers, chairman of the Kentucky Board of Education, said Draud asked the board that he not be obligated to reimburse the state for the cost of the vehicle when he resigned.

Brothers said board members agreed to let him out of that commitment, if he waived the 90-day separation requirement in his contract.

If Draud had been paid for the remainder of the 90 days, it would have cost the state about $40,000...

KSN&C Backstory.

Farris Named Interim Commissioner, will not be candidate for permanent position

KSN&C report: Breaking

Board decides on National Search

and Search Firm assistance

Whole Board will Screen Candidates

This afternoon the Kentucky Board of Education accepted the resignation of Education Commissioner Jon Draud. Draud's resignation follows a positive evaluation from the Board and was prompted by health-related issues.

He will be replaced in the short term by Deputy Commissioner Elaine Farris, who becomes the first African American woman to serve in that post in Kentucky.

Following a discussion of pros and cons, by consensus, the board agreed to conduct a national search, utilizing a search firm.

Target dates:

• RFP by or before February 10th meeting.
• Discuss role and expectations for the Commish and search firm at the February meeting
• Select firm by March. Possibly moving the March 4th meeting date and adding a day to agenda (10th & 11th)
• New Commish August 1st

The board seemed ready to approve the use of a screening committee process when, after a break, board member Austin Moss made a plea for the board to reconsider. His comments reflected a concern for board unity.

One of the opportunities we have is to always do what's best for children. I think we do that when we are inclusive and working together and all on the same page with the same information.

Moss went on to express his concern over the frequency of commissioner changes and his desire that all members have "equal input into the evaluation of the candidates." He said, "a committee "becomes more divisive, for me."

We've had a hard set of conversations recently relative to leadership (a likely reference to the 3 1/2 hours closed session in December.) and I don't want that to continue as we move forward in selecting this new commissioner.

After another brief discussion Chairman Joe Brothers recanvassed the members who agreed to serve as a committee of the whole. When a quorum of the board meets in committee it carries with it all of the open meetings responsibilities. So expect a number of special meetings of the board this spring, held in closed session, without action.

Chairman Joe Brothers asked the board to discuss the search process the board wished to follow. The board had the option of doing the search themselves or putting it out to bid and they chose to hire a search firm.

Dorie Combs kicked off the discussion saying, "I think we'd want to do a national search." That was followed by members suggesting the board "use a search firm to help us with the process" but that "we need to develop a set of questions for the search firm." One member reminded the board that "We have been burned by that process" (in the past). Combs said, "We do want to make sure that the search firm works for and with us. They do the detail work, but it comes down to our decisions."

Veteran board member, Doug Hubbard, suggested,

"Let's go back to the qualified persons we talked to in the last search and see if we could interest either of them... For those of you who may not have been here, after the lady from Missouri (Barbara Erwin, Illinois), or whatever, departed, I think it was on a Thursday night, the next time we came together, we discussed about approaching three people that we had considered qualified to be commissioner, to see if we could interest any of those three. And, as I recall, one of them at the time had made a commitment to the district with which he was employed, (an apparent reference to Stu Silberman) that he was going to be there for a set number of years. And he chose to honor that.... Keith (Travis) was involved in doing that so I don't know exactly what was done. It was my understanding that passes were made by one or two of these other people. But, anyway, I just suggest that. Those of you who have not gone through a commissioner's search, much less, two commissioner's searchers, might not appreciate the time and stress and expenses (involved). It's something to think about."

Actually, there were three untapped candidates in the "last" search: Richard Hughes, a professor at Morehead State University and former superintendent of the Hardin County school district; Larry Vick, superintendent of the Owensboro Independent school district; and Jim Warford, executive director/CEO of the Florida Association of School Administrators and a former chancellor for Florida’s public schools. But Hubbard was probably referring to the prior search, the one that produced Barbara Erwin. The finalists at that time were Mitchell Chester, who since became Commissioner of Massachusetts, and Richard LaPointe, a former deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

Steven Neal countered, "It seems to me it's time for a new beginning." he called for a national search and the use of a search firm.

After several more members weighed in, in support of a national search, Hubbard got off the best joke of the day.

"I have absolutely no objection to a wide national search, fifteen search firms, or whatever everybody wants to do." If the issue was whether we tried a year and a half ago - we did try. "Last time we were criticized for not doing a national search... Of course, we only had candidates from 23 states and three froeign countries. ..for a country boy from Bardstown, that was pretty national."

But Combs was cautious offering,

I think it's very important that we do this very carefully; by the book. And while we might do some things that would save us money - in the end, it might not save money. I don't want to cut corners on these important decisions and going through the process.

Members mentioned the need "to do better than we did the last time."

"I don't think this is a process that can be easily rushed," another offered, but "we have the advantage, as laborious as it was, that we have been through this before recently."

"The fact that we've had trouble in the past makes us less desirable," another said.

Then Hubbard offered some historical perspective that was not widely reported.

We're dealing with entirely different circumstances now, than then. 'Cause remember, at that time, we did not know that our chairman was trying to get (the) job. And certainly...if Joe wants to be commissioner, (turning to Brothers) tell us now!

KSN&C Backstory.

Draud's exit has board seeking successor

Tomorrow at 1pm, the Kentucky Board of Education is scheduled to take the first official steps toward selecting Kentucky's next education commissioner. The Board must accept Draud's resignation and confirm some actions that have been going on in the background.

One board member told KSN&C that there are "still a few details to work out" but an interim commissioner could be named as early as tomorrow. Substantial speculation is on Elaine Farris to serve as interim - continuing her duties as she has in Jon Draud's absence.

This would likely signal a commissioner search that would not include Farris, but who knows.

It's not always easy to know what the board is going to do and there has been at least one major screw up in the past. Remember the secretive, ill-advised effort to outsource the board's responsibilities during the Barbara Erwin debacle?

There is also reason to believe that Joe Brothers learned much he needed to know during that process.

Next time around the Board did "better" - merely ignoring the governor in the process.

How will the new board proceed with the next selection? Tomorrow should tell.

Board of education sources predict that this board will choose to announce a small number of finalists before final decisions are made - to give the public time to research and react to the finalists before any contract is signed.

The same sources are less certain the board will decide to hire a search firm. Once burned, twice shy.

But using a search firm - in and of itself - was not the problem in the Erwin mess. The problem was hiring the firm, putting blind faith in the the firm and following the firm's tactics - all in the face of contradicting evidence. The board forgot who was responsible to Kentucky's children.

The most critical decision may be which board members are selected to serve on the board's search committee as that decision may drive other decisions. That decision also proved to be a disaster during the Erwin episode.

But I'm optimistic. This time for sure.

Some ideas for the board:

• A national search that does not exclude Kentucky candidates is the way to go.
• Seek a diverse set of candidates and weed out according to merit.
• A search firm can help with the extensive busy work - but don't let them do your thinking for you - they have their own interests.
• Honor the candidate's need for privacy - up to a point - but value Kentucky's interests over any candidates interests.
• Narrow the finalists to three, or so and encourage public input.
• Then, do your own due diligence - verify information on resumes - research public utterances - do your best to know what you're getting.
• Announce your choice, cross your fingers and hold your breath.

This from NKY.com:

FRANKFORT - Education Commissioner Jon Draud's resignation is expected to be officially accepted Wednesday at a special Kentucky Board of Education meeting.

The meeting will also map the course for finding his successor.

Draud, 70, announced last month that he would resign in early February to focus on his health. He suffered a stroke in September that weakened the muscles in his right leg and foot, making it difficult to walk.

He's walking and continues to work a little bit each week, but he said Monday that his physical health is only about 80 percent of what it was before the stroke. He wants to get back to 100 percent.

"I reluctantly resigned - it's the toughest thing I've had to do in my life," Draud said. "But I think maybe God was sending me a message." ...

...The meeting agenda includes "discussion and consideration of a motion to approve the steps to follow in filling the position of commissioner of education" and "consideration of a motion to appoint an interim commissioner." ...

...Lisa Gross, spokeswoman for the education department, said Deputy Commissioner Elaine Farris has been handling some of Draud's duties, such as signing paperwork. Whether Farris will be appointed interim commissioner will be discussed Wednesday....

Kentucky Board Calls Special Meeting Wednesday

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – The Kentucky Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, January 7, in the State Board Room of the Capital Plaza Tower in Frankfort.

The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. The agenda will include consideration of a motion to accept the resignation of Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud and consideration of a motion to approve steps to follow in filling the position of commissioner of education.

A full agenda follows.

KENTUCKY BOARD OF EDUCATION
JANUARY 7, 2009

SPECIAL MEETING

STATE BOARD ROOM, FIRST FLOOR,

CAPITAL PLAZA TOWER
FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I. Call to Order

II. Roll Call

III. Closed session to discuss personnel pursuant to KRS 61.810 (1) (f)

IV. Consideration of a motion to accept the resignation of Commissioner Jon E. Draud

V. Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve administrative issues relative to Commissioner Draud's departure

VI. Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve the steps to follow in filling the position of commissioner of education
VII. Closed session to discuss personnel pursuant to KRS 61.810 (1) (f)

VIII. Consideration of a motion to appoint an interim commissioner

IX. Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve KDE's 2% budget reduction proposal

X. Adjournment

SOURCE: KDE press release

KBE sets Jan. 7 meeting to begin process of replacing Ed Commissioner Draud

This from KSBA:

The Kentucky Board of Education will return to Frankfort on Jan. 7 to begin the process of finding a new state education commissioner. The meeting also will shed some light on how the Department of Education plans to implement Gov. Steve Beshear’s call for a 2 percent spending reduction by June 30.

The state board meeting agenda, released this morning, includes the following items:

• Acceptance of the resignation of Commissioner Jon Draud
• Administrative issues relative to Draud’s departure (assumed to be the appointment of an interim commissioner following Draud’s early February exit)
• Steps to follow in filling the position of commissioner
• Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve KDE’s 2 percent budget reduction proposal
• The agenda also includes a pair of planned closed sessions tied to personnel issues.

Dr. Draud announced last week that he would resign his position of 13 months. He is recovering from a stroke he suffered in September.

Although the governor protected base SEEK funding from his spending reductions to cover a projected $454 million revenue shortfall, he directed state agencies to reduce spending in varying amounts, including a 2 percent cut for the remainder of elementary and secondary education programs. Department of Education officials have made no public announcements to date of how that spending reduction will be implemented.

Silberman Remains Committed to Fayette County

"I plan to keep my word

and will not be an applicant."

- Stu Silberman

Only last week Jon Draud announced that health problems had prompted his retirement as Kentucky Education Commisssioner.

That was the same week speculation began about who Kentucky's next commissioner might be. KSN&C readers have already begun suggesting names. One of them is very familiar - Stu Silberman.

The last time around, the finalists included:

• Richard Hughes, a professor at Morehead State University and former superintendent of the Hardin County school district


• Larry Vick, superintendent of the Owensboro Independent school district, and


• Jim Warford, executive director/CEO of the Florida Association of School Administrators and a former chancellor for Florida’s public schools

The time before that, the Board - in its infinite wisdom - outsourced its responsibilities, announced only one finalist and set up the Barbara Erwin debacle.

So who's out there?

Blake Heselton is now mopping up a huge mess at UofL left by indicted former Dean Robert Felner. One supposes he will be committed to The Ville for a while. But if things aren't going well at Louisville - Is the commissioner's post a big enough excuse to jump ship?

Other in-state names include former OEA honcho Penney Sanders and Roger Marcum who recently announced his retirement from Marion County. Is Deputy Commissioner Elaine Farris ready for the top job? Senator Kelly had some nice things to say about her recently.

Then there's Stu Silberman. In each of the last two commissioner searches, Silberman took himself out of consideration citing his promise to Fayette Countians to stabilize the leadership in the state's second largest school district by committing to a ten-year tenure.

Once again Silberman says he's not interested and will not apply.

The greatest probability, however, is that the board will listen to the governor (for a change)decide to conduct a national search and our finalists will be folks we don't know yet. KSN&C will produce some background information on whomever the finalists are, as usual.

When you start thinking about dying, it puts everything in perspective

With the end of the semester I've been too busy (with my real job) to keep up with the happenings surrounding the resignation of Commissioner Jon Draud. Students come first.

But KSN&C has heard lots of questions and speculation about what happened...and what's next. Some have expressed surprise at Draud's resignation following the supportive assessment he received from the Kentucky Board of Education at their most recent meeting. But as things often go in politics, what the public sees is just the tip of the iceberg.

Since Draud's first days, some have been less than supportive of his administration. KDE can be a snake pit, and amid the speculation about his health it wasn't always easy to tell if some individuals were rooting for him or against him. Despite a consistent track record of supporting adequate funding for the schools, while in the legislature and as Commish, Draud carried that big R on his chest which may have contributed to the doubt some establishment insiders expressed.

Some KSN&C readers have wanted to know if the governor pushed him out. I have no clue, but doubt it.

The governor is on the record as wanting a national search. Shortly before his inauguration in December, Governor-elect Beshear asked members of the Kentucky Board of Education to delay the appointment of a new education commissioner in order to conduct another national search to the state’s top education leader. The first search had resulted in the disastrous selection of Barbara Erwin, who resigned before her first day as commissioner after discrepancies in her resume were revealed. Within days after requesting the state school board to extend its search for a new commissioner, the board named Draud, a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

But when the smoke cleared, their philosophies seemed to match up fairly well and both Draud and Beshear worked to save education from serious cuts. Beshear probably continued to believe that a national search would have been the way to go, but I don't see any evidence that he actually tried to do anything about it.

Was there conversation about his future? You bet.

Within KDE, among educators in the field, and among members of the Kentucky Board of Education there was concern about Draud's vitality. The job requires a lot - and unfortunately, Draud had a stroke.

This from NKY.com:

EDGEWOOD - Jon Draud followed a neurologist's advice and heeded pleas from loved ones when he decided to step away from the career that long ago became a passion.

The longtime educator and former legislator from Edgewood announced Friday that he will resign as Kentucky's commissioner of education in early February.

"It was really a hard decision for me to make after serving in education for about 50 years," Draud said. "I wanted to provide some leadership in a difficult time. But, you know, when you start thinking about dying, then it puts everything in perspective."

The 70-year-old was a unanimous pick a year ago to take over as education commissioner, but he suffered a stroke in September that weakened his leg muscles. Draud has been working in Frankfort about three days a week and undergoing physical therapy the other two days.

He said he is about 80 percent recovered from the stroke.

"I've made a lot of progress, but I want to try and get back to 100 percent," he said. "That job requires 100 percent effort and I'm just not prepared to do that right now." ...

On hearing the news of the retirement, former superintendent Jack Moreland heaped praise on Draud.

"He's one of the absolute finest people that I know," said friend Jack Moreland, who spent 19 years as superintendent of Dayton Independent Schools and led Covington schools for eight years. "He bleeds education. His first thought is education. If you go back and trace his history, even when he was in the General Assembly, his fundamental focus ... was education." ...

What happens next?

Well, already groups are lining up to offer their assistance in the selection of the next commissioner. The last time around, "the K groups" wanted a Kentucky Commissioner. It seems that that desire, having been satisfied, may not burn so brightly this time around, but they still want to participate in the process.

We can count on Governor Beshear reaffirming his belief that a national search should be conducted. And this board will be much better equipped to hear him.

Bob Sexton has said the pretty much the same thing: Consider state- but look national.

Not to be left out, KSN&C would be happy to contribute to the due diligence phase of the selection process - and would hapily give the Board the first peek at anything we discover. Heck, put us on the team and we'll even observe confidentiality. Perhaps the number of board members KSN&C hacked off during the Barbara Erwin affair is now low enough that they would welcome our humble assistance.

Nawwwwww.


Photo by Rachel Stone: Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Jon Draud, a graduate of EKU, returned to his alma mater on April 8 to speak to Dr. Richard Day’s Educational Foundations class about current education-related issues in the Commonwealth. While on campus, he also met with President Whitlock and other education leaders to discuss how Eastern can help partner with the Kentucky Department of Education in building education leadership capacity in Kentucky.

Draud Resigns !

Surprising (but not shocking) news today as Commissioner Jon Draud resigns his position as leader of the state's school system. Draud's five decade career comes to a close following a stroke in September which has made mobility and energy levels a problem.

In a recent conversation with Draud, KSN&C found him to be upbeat and optimistic for a full recovery. But the demanding realities of the commissioner's position surely must have played a major role in his decision to re-prioritize in favor of his personal health. Only the most cynical could blame him.

KSN&C congratulates Commissioner Draud for his ceaseless focus on building a system of schools that is not only equitable, but adequate as well. Good luck on a full recovery...and continued citizen advocacy for Kentucky's schools.

This from KDE by way of KSBA:

DRAUD TENDERS RESIGNATION

FROM COMMISSIONER POST

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – Jon E. Draud, Kentucky’s fourth commissioner of education, today announced that he would resign the position effective in early February.

“I have informed Joe Brothers, chair of the state Board of Education, that I am resigning my position as Commissioner of Education for the state of Kentucky,” Draud said. “While I feel that I have provided outstanding leadership during my illness, it has caused me to rethink my priorities.”

“Dr. Draud has distinguished himself as an educator and a tireless advocate for education over the past five decades,” said Kentucky Board of Education Chair Joe Brothers. “His service in various leadership roles, including classroom teacher, principal, superintendent, legislator and commissioner, reflect an untiring commitment to public education in Kentucky. His decision to retire is a personal one, and the entire board supports him in that decision.

“We wish him well as he enjoys his family and improving health in the coming years. We shouldn’t be surprised in the future to find that Jon is out there somewhere, advocating for public education in his retirement years.”

Draud was selected as commissioner in November 2007, after serving as a state legislator representing Kentucky’s 63rd District. He was vice-chair of the House Education Committee. Draud also served as director of School/University Partnerships at Northern Kentucky University.

Draud was an associate professor at NKU; superintendent of the Ludlow Independent school district; assistant superintendent of Lockland (Ohio) Public Schools; member of the Kenton County Board of Education; and a school principal and teacher.

In September, Draud suffered a mild stroke that affected his ability to walk. He is currently engaging in physical therapy to strengthen his leg muscles and expects to make a full recovery.

Brothers said that the board will likely schedule a special meeting in January to discuss plans for the future, including consideration of selection of an interim commissioner and the search process to fill the position for the long term.

SOURCE: KSBA Alert

Draud issued the following statement ot members of the Kentucky Board of Education.

“I have informed Joe Brothers, Chair of the State Board of Education, that I am resigning my position as Commissioner of Education for the State of Kentucky, effective in early February.

While I feel that I have provided outstanding leadership during my illness, it has caused me to rethink my priorities.

I appreciate the kindness and cooperation that I have received as Commissioner. It has been an honor to have served with you. I can assure you that I have done my best for the children of Kentucky.”

Governor Beshear's Statement:

“I want to thank Jon Draud for his distinguished career and longstanding commitment to public service in Kentucky, particularly our children. I also wish to extend to Jon my best wishes for his continued and full recovery. As this transition of leadership occurs, I look forward to working with the Board of Education as a new leader is chosen who will move Kentucky forward in our efforts to create the best educational system in America. I am committed to doing whatever it takes to reach that goal – for our children and for our state’s future.”

Education chief well regarded

Draud's health a concern to board

Foregoes Raise Due to Economy

Last week the Kentucky Board of Education said out loud what they have been whispering about for a while. They are concerned about the Commissioner's health.

The Board closed session lasted 3 1/2 hours, apparently with C B Akins on the phone from Europe.

Despite the concern, Draud gets high marks.

This from Toni at C-J:

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The Kentucky Board of Education gave Commissioner Jon Draud a glowing first-year evaluation yesterday, although the board's chairman said there is growing concern over his health and how that may interfere with his job in 2009.

Draud, who took over as commissioner last December, suffered a minor stroke on Sept. 5 that affected his ability to walk and has prevented him from returning to his job as the state's education chief full-time.

"We all know that this is a 100 or 110 percent job -- Jon is the first one to acknowledge that," said board Chairman Joe Brothers of Elizabethtown. "He has no intentions of not being 100 percent. He indicated to us today that he will be back full-time in the office by the end of the month."

Draud, 70, told The Courier-Journal yesterday that he works in the office at least three days and spends the rest of the week working from his home in Edgewood.

"I am feeling much better and my doctors have told me that I have made miraculous progress, but it is hard to say when I will be 100 percent," he said.

"I am probably at about 90 percent right now.

"I still do not have all the motor skills back in my right foot and I do not feel completely comfortable with driving."

Draud said his wife has stepped in and has been driving him to speaking engagements, as well as to work in Frankfort.

Brothers said a crucial part of Draud's job is traveling the state...

What's Good for the Goose...

If a principal fails to perform (as measured by student achievement data alone) the superintendent has the authority to demote him or her immediately - without any guarantee that the principal would be given, say, three years to raise scores, which some consider typical.

Today, a divided board of education voted 7-2 to seek similar authority for the Commissioner.

A divided Kentucky Board of Education approved an item on their legislative agenda that, if approved by the General Assembly, would grant the Commissionser authority to remove a school superintendent or school board member because after six years of repeated poor academic performance.

Not everyone agreed.

This from Toni at C-J:

...The board voted 10-0 (with board member C.B. Akins absent) to approve most of the wish-list items, but pulled out a recommendation from the Blue Ribbon Panel on interventions in low-performing schools, which asked to add chronic low student academic performance as a cause of removal of a superintendent or school board member.

The recommendation, if approved by the General Assembly, would change the language of KRS 156.132 to give the education commissioner authority to remove a school superintendent or school board member because after six years of repeated poor academic performance.

The item passed 7-3, but not before a divided discussion between board members.

Commissioner Jon Draud said the recommendation is needed as a way "to send a message" to superintendents across the state that "academic performance" is as
important as ground for removal as fiscal irresponsibility or the other areas
currently listed in the statue...

Proposed Cuts called Devastating amid Freezes and Layoffs. 32 districts fear deficits, 51 raid contingency funds

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – After gathering input from the state’s public school district superintendents, Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud says that a proposed four percent reduction in funds would have devastating short- and long-term effects on Kentucky’s P-12 education system.

“As part of the request from the State Budget Director’s Office to develop a plan and analysis of the effects of a funding cut, I asked the state’s superintendents to share the potential repercussions for their districts,” Draud said. “The responses that I received indicate that a cut of this magnitude would severely limit every district’s ability to provide high-quality learning experiences for students.”

A four percent reduction to the state’s P-12 education budget would amount to approximately $132 million. If the reduction includes the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) funding formula, school district superintendents indicated that they would have to make difficult choices.

• Even though it is very difficult to reduce staff after the school year has begun, 36 districts indicated that they would reduce staffing levels for the current school year. This would include hiring freezes and layoffs of classified staff in some cases.
• 142 districts indicated that they expect to reduce staff for the 2009-10 school year, because many of them will be entering that school year with very low contingencies and will be forced to reduce staffing and programs to balance their budgets for the year.
• 33 districts indicated that they would be forced to reduce Flexible Focus programs such as extended school services, safe schools, professional development and other related programs.
• These reductions are in addition to reductions already in place in the enacted budget.
• 41 districts indicated that they will curtail or eliminate maintenance expenditures for the remainder of the fiscal year. Failure to maintain our school buildings will shorten the expected life of those facilities and result in greater costs in the future.
• 28 districts indicated that they would defer major equipment items, including school buses, for the remainder of the year. Districts are encouraged to implement a replacement schedule for buses to ensure that children are safely transported to and from schools. The decision to defer these purchases will result in greater costs in the future as well.
• 23 districts indicated that they would reduce technology and equipment purchases, and some indicated that they would be unable to match their offers of assistance under the Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS) program.
• 5 districts indicated that they would have to consider reducing their full-day kindergarten programs to half-day programs. Currently, state funding only covers half-day kindergarten, but a majority of districts provide full-day services with monies from their general funds.
• 3 districts indicated that they would suspend their facility plans and halt construction on new schools.

Other state-funded programs would experience extreme limitations under a four percent reduction, including:

• career and technical education
• assistance to low-performing schools
• leadership and instructional support
• educator quality and diversity
• preschool
• safe schools
• textbooks
• gifted and talented
• technology

One challenge facing school districts is that approximately 80 percent of their budgets are committed to personnel and, due to contract restrictions, they have little or no ability to alter contracts at this point in the school year. As a result, a mid-year reduction of four percent is the equivalent of a 20 percent reduction of the portion of their budgets that they can alter nearly halfway through the fiscal year. The majority of districts have reported that their contingency and general fund balances will be reduced significantly as a result of the proposed reduction.

“One very troubling trend is evident in the responses of 51 districts that indicate they will be below the two percent threshold established by state law as a minimum contingency balance,” said Draud. “An additional 32 districts indicated a concern that the proposed four percent reduction may cause them to end the year in deficit. Districts in this situation will struggle to provide the services that their students need to succeed and progress toward proficiency. This also will dramatically increase the number of districts for which the Kentucky Department of Education is required by law to provide management assistance, as the department's ability to offer technical assistance also will be reduced.”

The operations budget for the Department of Education was reduced by approximately $1.3 million in July of this year. Staff has reduced travel, delayed filling vacant positions and deferred operating expenditures to meet that reduction. An additional four percent reduction would require further cuts totaling $984,500. Since 2001, the Kentucky Department of Education has lost 219 positions, a 28 percent reduction in the agency’s workforce.

Draud said that perceptions about public education and funding have been misinformed over the past few years. “There has been a perception that public education has been ‘spared’ the budget reductions faced by other state agencies over the years. Over a number of years, funds appropriated to the Department of Education have lapsed to the credit of the state General Fund, even when there have been program needs that have gone unmet as a result.

“I encourage budget officials to consider the full impact on the state’s public school system as they work to meet the demands of this tight budget,” said Draud. “Kentucky has shown great progress since the 1990s, and strong, steady funding is the key to maintaining that progress and getting all schools to proficiency.”

SOURCE: KDE press release

Kentucky Schools Prepare for 4% Cuts at MidYear

“The sad part is that Kentucky has made

a lot of progress in education since 1990

and this is definitely a step backward.”

- Jon Draud

This from the Enquirer:

FRANKFORT – All 174 of the state’s public school districts have until Wednesday to submit a plan to the Kentucky Department of Education on how they can immediately cut 4 percent from their budgets.

As of Monday afternoon, many districts in Northern Kentucky had no idea where they would be able to make reductions.

Education Commissioner Jon Draud e-mailed the directive to all superintendents last week after meeting with John Hicks, the acting state budget director. Draud said Hicks asked him to submit a plan that would reduce the state budget for grades P-12 by $132 million.

“The information I am requesting is vitally important to illustrate the devastating effect this cut would have,” Draud said in his e-mail to superintendents.Draud will compile the information from each district into one report that will be turned in to Hicks on Friday.

“It will be interesting to see what kind of proposals the districts come up with,” Draud said Monday. “I really don’t know how they’re going to do it.”

Draud said all state agencies have been asked to develop 4 percent reduction plans with the state facing a budget deficit of nearly $500 million.The plan he will give Hicks on Friday, which will ultimately go to Gov. Steve Beshear, could be used by the governor to make a case for new revenue sources, such as increasing the cigarette tax – or cuts could be made.

“I’m not blaming anybody for this situation. These are just very difficult economic times,” Draud said...

Draud asks Districts to Plan for 4% Cut

I had a great off-the-record chat with Education Commissioner Jon Draud yesterday. Draud was chipper despite a recent health scare and increasingly bad budget news for Kentucky schools.

The state budget director has asked Draud to submit a plan to meet a $132 million cut (4%), as well as a description of the impact of the cuts on the Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky's school districts. This cut's gonna hurt.

It must be particularly frustrating for Draud who sought the Commissioner's position to advance Kentucky schools only to be thwarted by worsening economic conditions.

How districts attack their budget problems will vary but the principle ought to be the same for every district - don't cut programs that touch children. That may be impossible for many districts to avoid. But if decisions must be made between programs then - cut support programs before cutting direct instructional programs.

For example, (and I'm not making a specific suggestion here) if a district had to choose between classroom teachers and, say, a Family Resource Center - the center's gotta go.

This from the Herald-Leader:

State Education Commissioner Jon Draud Wednesday gave Kentucky's public school superintendents until noon Dec. 3 to report how a 4 percent budget cut would affect operations in their districts.

Draud said the cuts could be "devastating" for many districts.

He said he will use the district reports in preparing the education department's plan for achieving a 4 percent across-the-board budget cut as Gov. Steve Beshear has requested.

Beshear said Tuesday that he wants such reports from all state agencies and public universities by Dec. 5 to counter a growing revenue shortfall.

State budget cuts would be "nothing but bad news for Kentucky kids," said Robert Sexton, executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.

He said the timing is especially bad because school budget already have been weakened by earlier cuts.

"This cut will be the hardest of all because school budgets have been cut down to bare minimum in previous years," Sexton said...

CATS Task Force Sets Course

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – Recommendations from the Task Force on Assessment and Accountability provide guidance for future work to update and improve the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS), Kentucky’s method of public school assessment and accountability.

“Assessment and accountability are polemic topics, and not just in Kentucky,” said Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud. “Many – including the members of this task force – have strong opinions. But, this group came to consensus on some key areas, providing the Department of Education and the Kentucky Board of Education with an early blueprint to help us maintain accountability to 2014 and decide what the system will look like in the future.”

The group had four main recommendations:

• Expand a pilot project that enabled assessment of elementary schools’ arts programs -- The project, conducted in the 2007-08 school year in 20 schools, provided the means to measure schools’ arts instructional programs against standards for curriculum, instruction, assessment and organizational support for the arts and humanities program. The task force recommends that the project be expanded statewide and to all grade levels. The project would eventually be phased in to the school and district accountability system to take the place of paper-and-pencil tests taken by students.
• Encourage formative assessments – Formative assessments are those that encourage learning and provide direct and immediate feedback to students and teachers. Examples of formative assessments include classroom assessments, anecdotal records, quizzes, lab reports and diagnostic tests.
• Work toward concise standards and a balanced assessment and accountability system – The task force supports reviewing the state’s subject-area standards and ensuring that those are rigorous and relevant. The group also wants a focus on a system of assessments that are accurate, efficient and provide detailed information on how well students attain specific standards.
• Provide teacher training and preparation related to assessment – The goal is to focus on standards and different types of assessment to foster a sense of “assessment literacy” among educators to ensure that they use appropriate testing to best meet the needs of students.

The group’s four recommendations will be considered by the Kentucky Board of Education at its meeting December 10-11.

Commissioner Draud will appoint a work group of practitioners and others for further action. The group would explore the next generation of assessment and accountability, maintaining the state’s goal of having all schools reach proficiency by the year 2014 and providing a plan to update assessment and accountability for the future. Members will be named in early 2009, and the group will provide periodic updates to the task force.

Formed in June, the task force reviewed the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) to provide a blueprint for the system’s progress in the future to ensure that the system meets the best interests of public school students. Members of the group included policymakers and experts in the field.

Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud asked statewide organizations, partner groups and leaders of the Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives to name members to the task force. The group began meeting in August, with the goal of having recommendations to present to the state legislature in early 2009.

Minutes from the task force meetings are available online.
SOURCE: KDE press release

Accountability at the Top?

Proposal: Superintendents in low-performing districts

could face removal

This from Brad Hughes at KSBA:

If the Kentucky Board of Education and the General Assembly agree, Education Commissioner Jon Draud would have the authority to remove superintendents whose districts have failed to meet academic targets for a period of years.

However, among the unresolved issues is just how many years of missed goals would place the superintendent in jeopardy and whether school board members could lose their elected posts as well.

Department of Education staff are drafting a 2009 legislative agenda for the agency and the state board. In the package to be voted on at the state board’s December meeting will be language to amend state law and expand the list of causes for which the commissioner can remove local school leaders.

The proposal resulted from the work of Draud’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Interventions in Low-Performing Schools. Among the recommendations in its 38-page report is a call for changes in KRS 156.172 to allow “removal of a superintendent or school board member for chronic low student academic performance…to enable clear authority.”

“I don’t feel the department can run districts better than anyone else, especially as the department has cut back on personnel,” said Draud. “On the other hand, I’d like to have that option if we have a district where there has been no academic progress for six, seven years. We need to place academic progress as a high priority.” ...

Superintendents on panel seek their own changes

...Three superintendents – Tim Moore of Mason County, Brady Link of Christian County and Stu Silberman of Fayette County – served on the 33-member Blue Ribbon panel. (Among other panel members were KSBA Associate Executive Director David Baird, Madison County board member Doug Whitlock, three principals and seven KDE staff.)

All three superintendents feel strongly that before superintendents face removal over academic failures, the district’s chief administrative officer should have the authority to make changes at the school level – specifically to remove and replace principals.

“I would hope that any legislation on this issue would give superintendents the authority to appoint principals at the very least at those schools that have been underperforming for some time,” said Silberman.“We’re not trying to use this issue to push for superintendents to have the authority to hire principals across the board,” said Link. “But the board would be held accountable to set goals for the superintendent, and the superintendent would put in goals and actions for the principal to achieve. If it doesn’t happen, a domino effect would take place.”

Moore added, “Superintendents aren’t afraid of accountability as long as we have opportunities to initiate change. Accountability doesn’t always start at the bottom; it needs to start at the top.” ...

Advocates say more cuts would be 'devastating'

This from C-J:

Advocates for human services, education and other state programs reacted with disbelief to news that the state is facing another large budget shortfall that could force more spending cuts...

...Gov. Steve Beshear said the state is facing a shortfall of nearly $300 million in the fiscal year that could force more cuts at agencies that have already experienced reductions as he sought to balance the current budget, which took effect July 1.

Beshear said yesterday that he will develop a plan to deal with the shortfall, including ways to increase revenue and cuts that could affect any agency funded by the state...

...[E]ducation officials worry about the effect of further cuts on their already-lean budgets.

University of Kentucky President Lee Todd said more cuts would be "challenging, especially when they come mid-year."

"We spent half the money and we can't change our budget a lot," he said. "We'll continue to operate as best we can."Richard A. Crofts, interim president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, said higher education officials believe they offer a long-term solution to the state's economic woes by producing a more educated workforce.

"We realize there are serious problems. But we also believe we are part of a positive solution," Crofts said.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon Draud said it would be "incredibly difficult" to cut any more money from the state's kindergarten-12th grade education budget.

"These are tough times and I understand that," he said. "But this would be more than devastating to our school districts and it would really impact our children."

The Kentucky Department of Education already had to cut $43 million for professional development programs and after-school services, as well as money for textbooks. In addition, more than 1,100 jobs were cut by the state's public schools this year, according to a recent survey released by the Kentucky School Boards Association.

Cordelia Hardin, chief financial officer for Jefferson County Public Schools, said the district's revenue outlook already is poor.

"We are already committed to teaching staff, we can't make staffing cuts in the middle of the year," she said...

Assessment and Accountability Task Force Meets Wednesday

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – The Task Force on Assessment and Accountability will meet Wednesday, October 29, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the State Board Room of the Capital Plaza Tower in Frankfort.

The group will continue its discussion of arts & humanities assessments and other topics. The meeting will be webcast, and information about how to access that will be available on the Kentucky Department of Education’s homepage on the day of the meeting.

The task force will review the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) and provide a blueprint for the system’s progress in the future to ensure that the system meets the best interests of public school students. Members of the group include policymakers and experts in the field.

Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud asked statewide organizations, partner groups and leaders of the Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives to name members to the task force.

The task force is seeking input from teachers, administrators, parents, businesspeople, elected officials, education advocacy groups and others. The group will analyze individual components of CATS and determine the effectiveness of those in meeting the needs of students.

SOURCE: KDE press release