Technology keeps little Dani connected to her classmates

Three-year-old Dani loves Dora the Explorer and Play-Doh, books and baby dolls, dress-up time and a makeshift tent. Dani also loves school.

“She’s a kid; she wants to be around other kids,” her mother, Beth Pruitt, says.

But Dani has not been to school since before Thanksgiving -- for her own good.

Her genetic neurological condition, spinal muscular atrophy, means she’s fragile. She cannot swallow or cough, for instance, and there are too many bugs floating around school during the winter months.

Dani still keeps in touch with her friends at Rosa Parks Elementary, though, thanks to technology and a lot of support at school and at home. Through a link of Web cameras and computers, she can stay involved in her classroom.

Early Start teacher Amy Stults sets up a laptop on a little red, square stool so Dani can join the 10 other children for songs and stories at “circle time.”

“It’s just been really neat to watch,” Stults said.

The children also can hear Dani much better these days since she got a headset microphone at home.

“They ask her all kinds of questions; they talk back and forth,” Stults said. “When she’s not here, she’s missed.”

Dani’s parents pulled her out of school for the high-risk months; they hope she can return in March, when the weather warms up.

Meanwhile, flexibility on both ends is crucial. Dani and her mom log on for circle time roughly 11:30 a.m. to noon only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for instance, because Dani is too busy with therapy on the other days.

“She definitely knows it’s her friends and that it’s live and interactive,” Pruitt said of Dani’s reaction to the webcam link.

When the children break into small groups or pairs, a teacher wheels the laptop to the activity area of Dani’s choice. For instance, if she picks “dramatic play,” her mother pulls out the dress-up clothes and Dani puts on costumes at home as they watch the other kids dress up in class.

While linking with schoolmates sometimes is difficult to fit into Dani’s regimented life, it’s worth the effort. Pruitt said Dani’s father, Frank, a civil engineer, also is excited that Dani is learning about the computer, which will be “her strongest friend.”

“It will open up a world to her that nothing else can,” said Pruitt, who sets a laptop on a yellow easel in the family’s living room for the virtual sessions.

Dani, who cannot sit up, lies on a pad atop the nearby coffee table and watches the screen as her mother moves her frail arms and legs to the music. When a teacher asks what Dani wants to sing, the tiny blonde laughs and chooses “Jingle Bells” as she and her mom join in with the other students.

“She’s very social, very aware,” Pruitt said.

Children with Dani’s condition are missing a vital protein needed for their muscles to receive nerve transmissions. And if a muscle is not activated, it will atrophy and die. Dani, who will turn 4 in March, has light to no muscle tone. She is fed through tubes and sleeps with the help of a nasal ventilator, but cognitively there’s nothing wrong, according to her mother.

Stults sends home lessons electronically so Dani can follow along with her classmates, who these days are learning about winter animals. The goal is to keep her from losing ground.

“Everybody knows that you include all children, but to see it in action is different,” Stults said of the webcam link. “And it’s a fairly easy thing to do… It’s doable for any child that may be at home.”

Jeff Jones, a technical resource teacher for the school district, describes the setup as an instant-message-like service of video conferencing. It’s just like a picture phone; it’s real time, with no delay.

“The beauty of this is that with a laptop in the classroom… they can wheel this thing anywhere,” said Jones, who noted that with the available technology, the real questions are:
Is the teacher comfortable?

Are the parents able to support the effort?

“This has been a wonderful experience,” Jones said of helping keep Dani connected to her school. “Everybody was working for a common goal, and it came together.”

The effort began back in September with talk of video conferencing for Dani. “It was a team approach that got started because of all the people who cared about her,” said Becky Farmer, a special education resource specialist, who cited the Early Start teachers and paraeducators, school principal, therapists and Dani’s family among the driving force.

Jones took their ideas and came up with several options; by Thanksgiving, the Pruitt family was hooked up.

“This was perhaps the best example of collaboration I have seen within and around the district between the family, the school and the support services,” Farmer said. “It was phenomenal.”

As for expanding on the concept for other homebound students, “we’ve got the technology; it’s there,” Farmer said. “It’s just us learning how to use it.”

Pruitt had nothing but praise for Rosa Parks Elementary.

“It very much reflects the attitude of the entire school and also the teachers. They bent over backwards to find ways to keep in touch and keep (Dani) in school.

“They looked for ways to help us before we asked.”

Principal Leslie Thomas said the success of Dani’s case has been a positive for the entire school.

“Everybody has rallied around and gotten excited about this one little girl,” she said. “… The ripple effect will impact lots of kids because of the lessons being learned by teachers and others involved with Dani.”

View a slideshow containing pictures of Dani video conferencing with her classmates.

SOURCE: FCPS press release

Share your memories of early schools in Fayette County

“Tell Our Stories” is the theme of a joint project by students at Squires Elementary and Henry Clay High who hope to learn more about the early schools in Lexington and Fayette County.

If you have school memories or old photographs from the 1950s or earlier, the students would love to talk with you in their efforts to preserve this portion of their community’s history.

Residents are encouraged to drop by Henry Clay High School between 9 a.m. and noon Saturday, Jan. 19. Students will conduct interviews and record people’s stories as well as scan photographs and school-related documents that people bring to share.

The high school is at 2100 Fontaine Road; signs inside will direct people to the project area. A second session is planned for Saturday, Feb. 23.

SOURCE: FCPS press release

Photo: Superintendent Massalon Alexander Cassidy at Chilesburg School, 1901.

Damron's on-campus gun lunacy

Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville is surprised by opposition to his plan to increase the number of deadly weapons on our college campuses.

"I never imagined this was going to be a major battle," Damron told the Herald-Leader.

But Damron's lack of imagination is the least of his problems. In this case, his single-minded devotion to the National Rifle Association's wild west agenda yields a casual disregard for the safety of our students and the campus community.

Opposition from numerous (if not all) Kentucky university presidents lead to a blanket accusition from Damron that Kentucky colleges have become "bastions of liberalism." Oooooooooo.

But just how is Damron's brilliant solution supposed to work?

Damron fantasizes that he's protecting folks who work at the University of Kentucky who may be afraid of walking to their cars in the dark after work.

His solution is to put more guns on campus - while keeping the guns that might protect his constituents while they walk to their cars just out of their reach.

Or perhaps he envisions shootouts in the parking lot, where the issue isn't whether you have a gun, but whether yours is big enough.

If HB 114 passes, I'm thinking about sending my daughter to school with body armor and an assault rifle with a big clip.

Eastern Kentucky University President Doug Whitlock who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon told H-L that before he would support a change in the weapon ban, "I would have to be convinced that having firearms on campus contributes to safety rather than adding to the risk."

Me too. And I'm decidedly not convinced this move would protect my daughter, or my students, in the least.

To become law, the House Bill 114 would have to get past Kathy Stein, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, who objects to "meddling in the affairs of the universities and community and technical colleges..."

Damron hopes to work around Stein. And began laying groundwork by bestowing on Stein the moniker "gun-control Sally." To augment his name-calling offensive he is bringing in a professional NRA arm-twister next week.

But Stein should shoot down House Bill 114. She should shoot it dead.

Increased T-word utterances in Frankfort

Push back against possible cuts to education appears to be the motivation as "taxes," a word one did not hear spoken aloud until recently, is apparently gaining traction among an increasing number of legislators.

Now with doubts cast about the potential magnitude of casino revenues the T-word is suddenly audible in the corridors of the state capitol. The early front runner seems to be a cigarette tax - that will fall short of meeting its objective.

Go figure.

Ryan Alessi and John Stamper report in today's H-L:

Cigarette tax hike gains traction
THREAT OF EDUCATION CUTS COULD SWAY KEY LAWMAKERS

FRANKFORT --Spurned as political suicide only weeks ago, a potential cigarette tax hike now has support from a growing bevy of heavy hitting lawmakers.

Facing the prospect of a bare-bones budget that cuts education spending, several leading Democratic lawmakers say they're exploring the possibility of doubling the state's 30-cent tax on a pack of cigs.

"It's a matter of how deep the cuts are," said Senate Minority Leader Ed Worley, D-Richmond. "If they get into K-12, then I think we need to look at the option of increasing the cigarette tax."

Worley said he and a majority of his caucus would vote to increase the tax before cutting primary or secondary education. In the Democratic-controlled House, budget committee chairman Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, said more House members seem open to a cigarette tax increase as the prospect of deep cuts to education becomes a reality.

Commish: Dear Governor Beshear

January 14, 2008

Governor Steven L. Beshear
700 Capital Avenue
Suite 100
Frankfort, KY 40601

Dear Governor Beshear:

Thank you for providing an opportunity for this agency to add to your understanding of the effects of potential budget cuts.

There are three main areas of concern as a result of possible budget cuts: the effects on the Kentucky Department of Education’s ability to provide services to the state’s public school system; the potential impact on students and teachers if cuts are made in programmatic areas; and the impact on the already inadequate Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) fund if it is not held harmless.

This agency has submitted a proposal to the Governors Office of Policy and Management (GOPM) for a three percent reduction to the fiscal year 2008 operating budget, which totals nearly $57 million (including excess SEEK monies). The proposal is designed to cause the least amount of negative effect on student learning and crucial KDE programs/operations. The elements of the proposal for a three percent reduction are:

General Fund reduction in the total amount of $11,554,700 from the following two areas:
Teacher Professional Growth Fund ($10,181,300)
Read to Achieve ($1,373,400)

$294,900 Restricted Fund reduction from various agency receipt accounts

$1 million Emergency School Loan account (The last loan from this account was made in 1992 and was paid in full in 2001. There has been no activity since that time.)

On top of those cuts, $43,800,000 of excess SEEK funds will be absorbed back into the state General Fund.

Since 2001, the Kentucky Department of Education has lost 219 positions. Our agency appropriations have gone from $31.7 million in fiscal year 2002 to $24.3 million in fiscal year 2007. These additional cuts will have a direct, negative impact on staff’s abilities to implement mandated programs and provide services to school districts.

On Friday, the Kentucky Department of Education submitted recommendations for a possible 12 percent reduction in the General Fund for fiscal year 2009. While these recommendations do not include SEEK funds, they represent $46 million in cuts to four key areas: extended school services, professional

development, textbooks and safe schools. If these cuts are implemented, schools and districts will see immediate effects.

Textbook purchases will be put on hold. Districts are scheduled to purchase science textbooks beginning in July, and the next cycle of purchasing is for mathematics textbooks. If the cycles are delayed, districts that have funds set aside for math textbooks may not have the discretion to purchase those. If the cycles aren’t delayed, the reduction in funds will likely force districts to review their plans for purchasing.

Extended school services, which provide help for students who are falling behind, will be greatly curtailed.

Professional development for teachers, which is crucial to their abilities to raise student achievement, will be limited in scope and availability.

The cuts in safe schools monies will put innovative programs and activities on indefinite hiatus, effectively slowing or stopping those that provide students and school staff with safe learning environments.

The potential cuts to these programs will have a direct impact on Kentucky’s public school students, but another primary concern is to avoid any cuts to the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) funding formula. SEEK represents the bulk of public school funding, providing more monies than local and federal revenue combined.

SEEK is an equity-based formula that treats school districts as unique entities, taking into account local revenues, student demographics and other variables. Although studies have indicated that the formula does provide equity, the formula’s funding has not kept up with inflation and the need to balance ever-rising costs of health insurance and other benefits.

Since SEEK comprises the bulk of school districts’ general funds, it is the source from which districts must draw in order to meet salary and program mandates, which continue to increase. Even if SEEK funding remains at constant levels, districts soon begin to fall behind mandated expenditures.

Automatic step increases will cost districts more, and the absence of an increase in SEEK will make it difficult for districts to cover the added expense. Step increases comprise from one to three percent of the total expenditure for certified salaries, so most districts will need to make some sort of cuts in order to fund them.

Many districts would receive less revenue through SEEK because increases in local property assessments will cause their local required effort to increase, thereby reducing the state contribution. This reduction would be greater in proportion to the percentage of property value increase, so the level of impact would vary across districts.

There would be an obvious shifting to the local level for more of the burden for funding public education. A lessening of state support will contribute to an erosion of the level of equalization among districts, particularly with the interplay of various tax laws with Tier I and Facilities Support Program of Kentucky (FSPK) equalization.

The SEEK allocation was based on the cost of providing two instructional days and required teacher raises, as mandated by the 2006 General Assembly. Since the entire amount was not distributed, this

became an underfunded mandate. In addition, the unexpected increase in the classified employee retirement contribution for school districts cost approximately $45 million.

When SEEK funds lapse, they are not distributed back to districts, but absorbed into the state General Fund. There are no windfalls as a result of excess SEEK funding.

Other expenses, such as utilities, insurance, supplies and fuel (the cost of diesel has risen as much as 400 percent in recent years) continue to rise. With more than half of a district’s revenue remaining constant or declining, services to students must be cut in order to fund these fixed costs of operation.

I asked school district superintendents to share the impact of any potential cuts to the SEEK funding formula, and a number of themes emerged.

Staffing in many districts already has been reduced; cuts to SEEK might require even further reductions in instructional positions, hindering efforts to improve student achievement on federal and state measures.

Less SEEK monies would place some districts very close to the two percent contingency requirement.

Many districts would eliminate full-day kindergarten.

Instructional staff for foreign language, art, music, physical education and other subjects would be eliminated in many districts.

The numbers of instructional assistants and curriculum specialists would be reduced.
Class sizes would be increased.

Allocations for school supplies, including high school textbooks, would be reduced.

School employee travel for professional development opportunities would be cut back.

Technology projects would be put on hold.

The consensus in the school community is that the impact of any cuts to SEEK would be devastating and extremely harmful to students. Superintendents say that any SEEK reduction would result in fewer staff, limited options for students and financial hardship throughout their districts.

Even if SEEK is held harmless, the recommendations we provided for the proposed 12 percent ($46 million) cut will directly affect Kentucky’s public school districts. School district officials have indicated their concerns about these cuts and any curtailing of services from this agency that could result from the three percent ($57 million, including excess SEEK funds) operational cut.

A report issued in November 2007 by the Prichard Committee indicated that the state’s after-inflation investment in public education has not matched its academic goals. Robert Sexton, executive director of the Prichard Committee, said, "Starting in 1992, state funding had no real growth beyond inflation and benefits costs for 12 years, and additional funding since 2004 has gone mainly to repair earlier damage."

Section 183 of the Kentucky Constitution mandates that the General Assembly, by appropriate legislation, provide for an efficient system of public schools throughout the state. Related court cases and Attorney General’s opinions indicate that the state must provide adequate funding for the public school system. While the definition of “adequate” may differ depending on circumstances, cuts to P-12 programs do not fit the generally accepted definition.

I encourage you to consider the full impact on the state’s public school system as you work to meet the demands of a tight budget. Kentucky has shown real progress over the past decade and a half, and strong, steady funding is the key to maintaining that progress.

Sincerely,


Jon E. Draud


SOURCE: KDE

The State of the Commonwealth is unacceptable

It must be tough to stand before those who are responsible for putting Kentucky in the financial hole it's in and maintain a positive tone, but that's just what Governor Steve Beshear did in his State of the Commonwealth address Monday night. (audio from H-L)"

"It is my duty and my responsibility to inform you that we have some tough times ahead. The revenue outlook is grim. Because of the economic slowdown, the cooling of the housing market, oil prices and a gap between what we spend and what we earn, we are facing an unprecedented budgetary shortfall."

"Raising taxes is and will continue to be a last resort as long as I'm Governor. So, that leaves cutting government spending. We can wring more efficiency out of state government and I intend to do just that. It's common sense, but it will require some painful sacrifices."

"Absent a bold new direction of innovation, creativity and 21st century thinking, Kentucky stands little chance of being economically successful in the new economy."

"The days of fretting about how we are doing against border states are long over and a waste of time. Something has to change. The ramifications are huge and will help determine how successful Kentucky becomes in the future. Therefore, re-engineering Kentucky's economy from within must be among the highest priorities."

"Yes, I have been handed an unprecedented financial problem to deal with, but the silver lining is that it will force us to change for the better, and grow. If we can show Kentuckians that we can balance the budget in tough times and once again place Kentucky on a sound financial foundation, that we're changing the way their government operates, that we're more accountable, and are putting the people first, then we've made a solid start. This crisis can indeed be a positive turning point for Kentucky!"

Criticized by pundits for its lack of specificity, and praised for its delivery and outlook, Beshear's speech told it like it was. He did not mention specific remedies to the revenue shortfall, such as casino gambling or a cigarette tax, but he did throw down the gauntlet by anticipating 12% cuts in the near future. (I assume Beshear was signalling the legislature his willingness to do what he says he will do - which is always refreshing - and that Beshear intends to pressure those who knowingly created the injudicious structural imbalance to be the ones who first propose raising revenue....because they haven't shown an ability to restrain themselves from a certain amount of pork-barrel spending.)

It certainly got the attention of education folks.

Saturday the Courier-Journal reported that a letter signed by the university presidents and Brad Cowgill, interim president of the Council on Postsecondary Education decried the call for cuts.

"A potential 12 percent cut in the higher education budget next year would reverse nearly all the funding gains made over the last decade, the state's university presidents said... When adjusted for inflation such a cut would leave about $931 million for the universities -- just $15 million more than they received a year after the legislature passed its higher education reform plan in 1997...such a cut would be ...remembered as arresting Kentucky's progress toward the reform goals of House Bill 1..."

The Courier-Journal opined Tuesday,

For years, those close to the budget process in Frankfort have understood what passing budgets with a "structural imbalance" eventually would mean. The Courier-Journal's Tom Loftus traced some of that history in a front-page analysis Sunday.

[Loftus reported that the Fletcher administration estimated in 2006 that the budget short-fall in 2008 would actually be closer to $600 million. But Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, rejected the suggestion that the 2006 legislature went on an irresponsible spending spree.]

Now, he explains, state government is caught in a perfect storm. A budget that's structurally out of balance, using one-time-money to pay for recurring expanses, suddenly has been hit with a falloff in revenue. The result? Unwelcome choices, like cutting services that already are underfunded, reducing personnel in departments that already are understaffed, losing momentum in programs that only recently gained momentum.

This is the final emergence of the General Assembly as the dominant force in making state spending plans -- plans that eventually pass by margins so large they presage an easy override of any veto. It only takes a legislative majority to render a governor's views moot.

Governors who exercise leadership and leverage their many powers can have an impact. But the fundamental dynamic is all too obvious: Legislative discipline is subverted by the immediate political needs and wants of members...

Governor Beshear's upcoming budget presentation on January 29th should be enlightening.

...and the first time somebody pulls a gun out of the glove box we'll get to use it.

UK Alert to warn students of emergencies

The University of Kentucky has launched a new emergency notification system, UK Alert, to communicate official information during an emergency or crisis situation that disrupts normal operation of the campus or threatens the health or safety of members of the campus community.

UK Alert is available to University Of Kentucky students, staff, faculty, visitors, and other interested parties on a voluntary self-subscription basis. Users may enter as many devices (i.e. e-mail, phone, and fax) as they would like and specify the device order in which they would like to be notified.

UK Alert delivers messages to subscribers on a “best effort” basis to the devices registered by each user.

UK Alert is a personalized service designed to complement other tools already used by the University Of Kentucky to advise the campus community during crises or emergences.

Examples include:
Broadcast emails to all official university e-mail addresses
University website
Local news outlets
TV Channel 50

Effective emergency response requires personal preparedness and planning. We encourage you to sign up for UK Alert as just one part of your personal emergency preparedness plan.

This from UK Alert.

Damron invites us to pack heat on campus

It seems that no matter how much I prep over a break, It's still tough to blog at the beginning of the semester. So much to do. It's hard to keep organized.

So, if you'll excuse me for a moment - I'd like to check to make sure I've got everything I need to meet the needs of my students on campus today.

Got up.
Took the dogs out.
Showered...etc.
Ironed my pants.
Gathered student papers that need grading today.
Organized my bag.
Kissed Rita goodbye.

OK, I'm set.

OH WAIT ! I almost forgot.

I still need to get the .357 magnum out from under my pillow and take it to school. Because if I'm not packin,' the terrorists win.

This from the Herald-Leader:

Bill would allow guns on campus

State Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, signed up 44 co-sponsors Tuesday for his bill that would allow people who park on public university property to keep a legally registered gun in their vehicle.

Currently, this can be prohibited by weapons policies set by the state universities.

"All this bill does is say you're going to be treated like everyone else," Damron said. "Anywhere else you can have a gun in your car." ...

...The University of Kentucky bans guns on campus. And UK spokesman Jay Blanton said the university wants to retain its authority to set its
policy.

"We believe that policy best serves the safety of our students and employees," Blanton said. "We would hope that the members of the Kentucky General Assembly recognize that the university administration and board of trustees are rightfully suited to manage and set policy that is in the best interest of the campus."

Guns at universities became a national issue after the mass shooting last spring at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., where a student gunman killed 32 people and then himself.

Morehead State University President Wayne Andrews said the bill "gives me great concern. I think we need to tread very lightly with the issue of weapons on campus." ...

But when Damron is thinking more clearly, he proposes things like this:

Higher ed would get spending flexibility
SPENDING, BOND HURDLES WOULD BE GONE

FRANKFORT --State universities would have more flexibility to spend their own money if bills approved overwhelmingly Tuesday by the House budget committee become law.

The proposals would allow universities to bypass the state budget when financing construction projects with their own cash. The schools could also issue bonds that wouldn't count against the state's debt limit, although they would still need lawmakers' approval for those projects.

However, lawmakers would not be forced to pick and choose among projects simply because the state can't afford to take on more debt.

"We would be looking at those projects on their merit only," said Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, sponsor of House Bills 111 and 177.

In 2006, Former Gov. Ernie Fletcher vetoed more than $300 million in projects, most of which were university projects that would have been paid for with revenue generated by the universities -- not taxes....

This also from the Herald-Leader.

Kentucky Districts to Receive Federal Improvement Funds

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – The U.S. Department of Education has approved Kentucky's application for School Improvement Funds authorized under Section 1003(g) of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. This is the first year that Congress has appropriated funds under Section 1003(g) to assist schools that are not making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

Kentucky's School Improvement allocation of $1,828,604 will be distributed to districts with schools identified for a restructuring plan, which are those schools in Tier 4 of NCLB consequences. Districts will receive approximately $50,000 per Tier 4 school. Districts must apply for the School Improvement Funds, and technical assistance on applying for the funds will be provided by the Kentucky Department of Education.

Forty schools in 12 Kentucky school districts are eligible to receive funds:
· Carter County (two schools in Tier 4)
· Christian County (three schools in Tier 4)
· Covington Independent (one school in Tier 4)
· Fayette County (two schools in Tier 4)
· Floyd County (two schools in Tier 4)
· Grayson County (one school in Tier 4)
· Henderson County (two schools in Tier 4)
· Jackson County (one school in Tier 4)
· Jefferson County (22 schools in Tier 4)
· Jessamine County (one school in Tier 4)
· Madison County (one school in Tier 4)
· Union County (one school in Tier 4)

In Kentucky, the School Improvement Funds will be used by districts for leadership intervention programs as a part of the restructuring plans for their Tier 4 schools. The leadership intervention program must either be through the School Leadership Support Team (SLST) or a similar model developed by the district and approved by the Kentucky Department of Education.

The SLST intervention model provides the school with an intensive, collaborative assistance process designed to build capacity at the school and provide essential support and oversight for immediate and sustained improved student achievement. SLST membership is comprised of five people who assist the school in reviewing its needs and in the development and/or implementation of school improvement consequences. Each team will consist of:
· the school principal (who acts as team leader)
· a mentor for the principal (through the Kentucky Association of School Administrators)
· a school council mentor (through the Kentucky Association of School Councils)
· a Kentucky Department of Education representative
· a district administrator (preferably a Title I Coordinator) from the district’s central office to ensure compliance with NCLB school improvement requirements

Districts should begin receiving their funding allocations beginning in mid-February.

SOURCE: KDE press release

And the hits just keep on comin'

The Pol Watchers blog is reporting that we may not have seen the full extent of the upcoming budget cuts just yet.

State budget outlook worsens

State tax receipts dipped nearly 6 percent in December, raising the likelihood that the state's budget shortfall will grow larger.

Tax revenues have dropped 0.4 percent year-to-date, State Budget Director Mary Lassiter said in a news release. The current revenue forecast calls for General Fund tax receipts to grow 0.8 percent this fiscal year, which ends June 30. To meet that forecast, tax revenues will have to grow by 2 percent for the rest of the year. If that doesn't happen, the state's projected $117.5 million revenue shortfall will grow larger...

HONEY! Our Little Scholar is Home with his Report Card !

The folks over at the Bluegrass Institute drew my attention to the fact that Junior's Report Card is out. And there's a bad mark.

B+
B-
3 Cs
and a D+

D+ ! Wait until your mother gets home!

So the Bluegrass Institute's research guy reached out and gave a little tweak to those of us who have noted Kentucky's increasing rank among the states in student achievement in recent years.

The inference is that those of us who engaged in the hoopla, were somehow misleading the public -and we all know how bad that would be. As Austin Powers might say, "Ouch, Baby. Ouch."

The facts are these:

• Kentucky has made progress in recent years relative to the 50 states.
• Three separate 2007 reports showed Kentucky at 34th, 31st and 34th.
• But in-state data is also unequivocal - Kentucky's student achievement progress is not yet sufficient.

Those are the facts. But what is the spin?

Now, Quality Counts is the kind of cobbled together assessment BGI might otherwise criticize, if the results were less to their liking - but true to its mission one supposes - BGI went straight for the lowest score and dismissed the rest.

Now, I may not like it, but that's actually OK with me. Whatever data Kentucky produces, I say, let's see it. But let's not misinterpret the meaning.

As BGI knows whenever the states are ranked in any category, it it teaches us nothing about the strength of a score. Arguably, every state in the union is lacking in student achievement. In fact, the 2007 NAEP student achievement leader, Massachusetts, scored - B for student achievement.

All a rank does is to compare relative standing.

So how does the Quality Counts (subscription required) report card deal with that? Why, for every score Kentucky gets, Quality Counts tells us the the national average score.

Chance for Success: Kentucky = C; Nation = C+

K-12 Achievement: Kentucky = D+; Nation = D+

Stnds, Assesmt & Accountability: Kentucky = B+; Nation = B

Transitions & Alingmt: Kentucky = C; Nation = C

Teaching Prof: Kentucky = B-; Nation = C

School Finance: Kentucky = C; Nation = C+

Now, we're able to compare (if very roughly) Kentucky's relative standing in student achievement. And since we know our student achievement score matches the national average - low as that may be - in terms of state rank, Kentucky falls among those states at the 50th percentile?

Isn't that wonderful news?

So here's my new headline:

Quality Counts Report Shows Kentucky now tied for 25th
in K-12 Student Achievement !!!

BGI applauds the jump from 34th.

But seriously folks...

It is readily apparent that one should not place too much weight on any one study. Better to set up as good a system as one can, and let it work. The trending data over time teaches us much. The important thing is that we are all working to make the schools better - not abandon them.

What I see from the study is some confirmation that our ultimate chances for success aren't on par with our competition (neither are they out of reach) and that less than optimal support for the system probably contributes to that circumstance.

For a more serious assessment of Kentucky's situation check out, "Substantial And Yet Not Sufficient: Kentucky's Effort to Build Proficiency for Each and Every Child," By Susan Weston and Bob Sexton. It was presented at Columbia University's conference, Campaign for Educational Equity, in November.

Draud eyes textbooks, staff development and tech funds

Education Commissioner Jon Draud held a webcast this afternoon, to keep the state's superintendents well informed on the budget crisis and to allow for suggestions regarding the 09-10 budget, in particular. He indicated that the request for budget reductions for this year came up over the holidays and too quickly to gather input from superintendents before his response was due to the governor.

Draud stated that his objective is "to have the least amount of impact on the school districts and the children of the state that we possibly can have."

"We've been given...two charges...one of them dealing with a 3 percent cut for the 08 fiscal year, and a potential..12 percent cut for...09 and 10," Draud said. "I want to make this very clear. The governor's office has not said that they are reducing SEEK or... any part of education." Draud previously asked superintendents to prepare possible scenarios, but in his opinion, does not anticipate that cutting SEEK will happen.

The cuts for 08 included:

• Teacher Professional Growth Fund - about $10 million
• Part of Read To Achieve - about $1.3 million
• Both had funds that were available and had not been used by the school districts.
• "We also lost $43.8 million of excess SEEK funds. You know, we had some plans. We were going to do some creative things to help our growth districts and districts that were going above 4% in their revenue but that will be...impossible now," Draud said.
• Another 400,000 in restricted funds from agency accounts.
• And $1 million was taken out of the emergency school loan account.

Since becoming commissioner Draud said he has learned that since 2001 the department of education has lost 219 positions (Over $10 million on an average salary of $42,000). "I know there's not always a lot of empathy...for the Department of Education but facts are facts...and most likely will lose another 28 with this current reduction, if it occurs."

It does make it kind of difficult to provide the kind of service you'd like...

I'm going to repeat that often "because it has been my experience in Frankfort that you have to repeat things a lot of times before people actually internalize it.

As for 09-10 the Commissioner is considering

• delaying textbooks, $21.7 million
• staff development activities $13.6 million
• technology operating fund $10.8

= about $46 million, which would make up education's 12%.

Kentucky Chamber announces 'New Agenda' results

This from the Business Courier of Cincinnati:

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce released the results of its "New Agenda for Kentucky" initiative on Wednesday.

The initiative, launched last April, was designed to encourage Kentuckians to suggest ways to improve the state, and funnel those ideas into an action agenda that will be presented to Gov. Steve Beshear and other policy officials.

A task force of business executives and entrepreneurs was formed to guide the process of developing the agenda and help solicit ideas from the public through a designated Web site, community meetings, outreach to civic organizations and community groups, and interviews with experts and opinion leaders.

The project generated nearly 400 ideas from contributors across the state, according to the task force's report. The group has selected 100 of the most compelling suggestions to share with the state and its elected leaders. The selections were made based on viability, financial feasibility, the time needed to implement, innovation and vision, and impact, the report said.
Here is a sampling of those ideas:

• To bolster Kentucky farms, promote alternative agriculture by encouraging organic farming, providing incentives for the production of industrial hemp (that cannot be used to produce marijuana), and offering financial incentives for ethanol production.
• Antiquated alcohol sales laws, which are confusing to tourists and sacrifice revenue, should be eliminated and alcohol sales should be permitted statewide in Kentucky.
• The state needs to encourage people to move to Kentucky to keep population levels high enough to compete economically. To do this, it should encourage local communities to develop Web sites that allow to them to hook up to utilities and arrange for other necessary services online.
• To bring more corporate headquarters to Kentucky, the state should offer a wide array of incentives, including full tax abatement for 10 years for all executives who move to Kentucky.
• Actions that are required to prepare Kentucky to compete in the global marketplace include: teaching the metric system in public schools, teaching foreign languages such as Chinese, and comparing Kentucky's economic/educational performance with other countries instead of just other states.
• Life skills classes should be required for all students and should include: character education, parenting skills/responsibilities, personal finance, business education/experience, civic engagement/community service and cooperative jobs to provide workplace experience.
• Establishing an education improvement tax credit for businesses in Kentucky that contribute to public and private schools could help increase funding for schools.
• Kentucky should fully fund higher education in exchange for an agreement from state colleges and universities that they will not raise tuition.
• Kentucky should require contractor accountability for the environment by requiring all potential state contractors to submit a scorecard showing how well they reduce/reuse/recycle; this information should become a factor in the awarding of state contracts.
• To encourage physicians to continue the important practice of providing charity, they should receive a tax deduction for charitable care equal to one-half of the normal Medicare-approved rate for the service provided.
• Kentucky should eliminate the prevailing wage requirement for all public construction projects.
• Kentucky's state and local tax structure should be thoroughly reviewed and changed to make it more "business friendly" by eliminating or reducing taxes such as payroll taxes, net profit taxes, occupational taxes, inventory taxes and vehicle property taxes.
• Kentucky should establish a back-to-school tax-free holiday to give families a break, boost retail business and discourage shoppers from crossing state lines to take advantage of other states' programs.
• Kentucky could reduce the number of abandoned buildings by creating a sliding scale property tax with incremental increases the longer a building is unoccupied (after one or two years).
• To increase transportation options in Kentucky's most populous regions, the state should develop light rail service/public transportation, especially between Lexington and Louisville and in the Bluegrass Region of Central Kentucky.
• Kentucky should prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.

H-L editorial says education is important tool for disrupting poverty cycle

Cycle of poverty
Education cuts stymie state progress

Governors and legislators come and go, state budgets strain under new and old demands, but Kentucky's grinding, intractable poverty remains a constant.

Education is the single most important tool to disrupt that cycle of poverty...

...The best way to increase tax revenue long-term is to increase the wealth of taxpayers. And the best way to do that is by attracting or creating fewer poor ones.

So what to do?

First, the legislature should pass, and Beshear should sign, a law giving public universities the authority to float their own bonds for projects that pay for themselves.

It will save money and allow university administrators to plan more effectively for big projects, like dormitories or the new hospital at the University of Kentucky.

Second, the pork train has got to stop. Practice facilities, roads to nowhere, pet local construction projects, tax giveaways masquerading as incentives, costly questionable change orders -- they all drain money away from education, and Kentucky's hope of future prosperity.

The governor and lawmakers could hand out diplomas (real ones) instead of those silly, fake oversized checks if they need local photo-ops.

Third, admit that tuition hikes -- an inevitable result of severe budget cuts -- are a tax increase. Then consider that higher taxes often drive people to change behavior to avoid the taxes.
Then ask this question: Which will help Kentucky in the long run, taxing cigarettes or students?

This from the Herald-Leader.

Taxes. Oops, I said it again.

Truth be told, I'm not particularly well studied on taxes.

But I do know this: Basing the funding of public schools on property taxes is a bad idea because of its inherently inequitable nature. One community's property will always be worth more than another's...yet the children are all worth the same. Or at least, in the eyes of the law, they ought to be.

Property taxes have always been and always will be - unequal.

That said, Larry Dale Keeling offers this:

...casino gambling, if and when it comes, won’t add stability to the state’s revenue stream, at least not the kind of stability that can help soften the landing the next time the economy tanks.

Besides, getting a casino gambling amendment through the General Assembly remains an iffy proposition. Its success or failure this year depends largely on whether U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and state Senate President David Williams think its presence on the ballot will bring conservatives out in force to help McConnell win another term and Williams retain control of the Senate.

So, Beshear should move casino gambling to Plan B and come up with a new Plan A for providing the real tax reform that was missing from his predecessor’s “tax tinkerization” package.

Real reform would link Kentucky’s revenue stream to the fastest-growing sector of the economy by extending the sales tax to selected services – the kind that can’t be exported. Real reform should also do Kentuckians’ lungs a favor by including a hefty increase in the cigarette tax...

B F Skinner: The Next Generation

On December 20th I picked up a story from ABC News about the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center being snookered by a prankster who convinced school officials to deliver “77 shocks to one student and 29 to another.”

I found the story shocking on two fronts. First, I was shocked to learn that the punishment involved was an actual shock. I didn’t know that was still going on anywhere.

Second, I was shocked that any responsible treatment facility would punish a student on orders received over the telephone. Any behaviorist worth his salt would admit that a therapy’s effectiveness is wholly dependent upon proper application, including the timing of the consequence - and that misapplication of consequences is counterproductive to the therapy. Throw off the schedules of reinforcement and what have you got?

As JRC admits, “The best-laid behavioral programs in the world are to no avail if they are not carried out as designed by the direct care staff.” I'm not sure how a telephone call from the outside squares with that.

I linked to a related ABC story that called the Judge Rotenberg Center (J.R.C.) “One of the most controversial schools in the country… [that] tries to eliminate the use of psychotropic drugs, and instead uses aversive stimulation -- specifically behavioral skin shock -- to treat children and adults with the most severe cases of autism and emotional and behavioral challenges.”

On Christmas Day I linked to a New York Times story that reported New York Governor Spitzer’s call to remove any New York students from the program. The Times also misreported that amount of shock being used at JRC which “ranges from 15 to 45 milliamperes, or thousandths of an ampere — not 15 to 45 amperes” as the Times reported.

Finally, I linked to a Boston Globe report that Massachusetts officials required JRC to “stop electric shocks for "seemingly minor infractions," such as getting out of a seat without approval or swearing. And it must show greater commitment to phasing out shock treatments, especially for those about to leave the school to enter mainstream society...”

Recently Kentucky School News & Commentary heard from Matthew L. Israel, JRC’s founder, offering KSN&C readers “an accurate summary of what JRC is really about.”

So I followed up a bit.

Dr Matthew L Israel tells us he studied psychology under the late B.F. Skinner (wiki & Skinner Foundation) as an undergraduate, as a graduate student (like Richard Herrnstein who co-authored the controversial book, The Bell Curve which prompted wide-spread backlash in the social science community for its views on race and intelligence), and as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University.

Skinner was best known for his “baby tender,” an enclosed crib better known as the “Skinner Box.” This “operant conditioning chamber” was an instrument of his Radical Behaviorist philosophy which has been very influential in the treatment of students with special needs including behavioral pharmacology.

In the 1960’s Matthew L. Israel was looking for an opportunity to apply these principles and techniques in the treatment of a wide variety of behavior disorders. He found it writing “self-instructional materials” and “in two behavioral communes that [he] started in 1966 and 1967” – once curing a 3-year old “some considered to be extremely spoiled.”

After some consulting and establishing a “unit for the treatment for autistic children,” in 1971, he “started the Behavior Research Institute by offering behavioral treatment consultation in the homes of parents of autistic-like (sic) children.” By 1985 the program accommodated 65 students. He sees the school as a last resort for students and uses “the application of rewards and punishments” to change undesired behaviors.

It is Israel’s tolerance for more severe forms of aversive punishments that seems to draw the most criticism.

Israel writes that, in 1985, “a young man died at [the Behavioral Research Institute] while being restrained at one of our residences.” He says, “The cause of death was ultimately determined to be natural causes related to his condition of tardive dyskinesia and not due to the restraint procedure that had been employed.” But that precipitated the ire of numerous state agencies and groups who have attempted to close down JRC over time and there is a long history of litigation, settlement agreements and Receivership.

The Behavioral Research Institute changed its name in 1994 to JRC to honor the memory of the judge “whose courageous decisions and actions helped to preserve our program from extinction at the hands of state licensing officials…”

“Today, JRC serves over 200 students and adults from many states. These individuals live in 37 apartments, town houses and homes which JRC operates in Canton and neighboring communities. All attend JRC's day school at its Canton facility each day. The program is staffed with approximately 900 employees.

Israel’s effort to present an accurate summary of events ignored the circumstances that lead to school officials to delivering 77 shocks to one student and 29 to another on the word of a prankster over the telephone.

Photo from judgerc.org.

Beshear Responds to Williams Challenge

John Stamper at Pol Watchers has more on Senate President David Williams' challenge of Governor Steve Beshear's authority to cut the state budget.

...Before Beshear can alter appropriations made by the General Assembly, he must first apply any available surplus to the problem, according to KRS 48.130(4)(b)...

..."He's executing the same authority that prior governors have executed," said state Budget Director Mary Lassiter.

Beshear maintains that the total shortfall is about $434 million. Most of that amount is caused by higher-than-budgeted spending -- not a revenue shortage.

Lassiter said the budget surplus is no longer sufficient to cover the $117.5 million revenue shortfall because lawmakers and former Gov. Ernie Fletcher authorized spending $138 million from the surplus account...

...Williams stopped short of asking Beshear to reverse his actions. Instead, he said the Senate will "closely monitor" Beshear's cuts over the next few weeks...

A Q & A with Beshear answers questions; leaves questions.

To me, it seems simple enough.

We have a budget short fall and either need more revenue through the economy (which appears unlikely) or more state support. We either invest most heavily in those programs that are most likely to support the future economic health of the state - or we suffer longer and more deeply. So, we should bite the bullet and implement a tax plan that does not overly burden the poor.

But I realize that's naive.

There is clearly political calculus at work here. Unless there are enough legislators indicating potential support for new revenues to make it a good fight, any calls for taxation by the governor would waste political capital. And I haven't heard a peep from legislators.

Beshear obviously doesn't think he has the votes for a tax increase right now. Or perhaps, he wants to see if casino gambling has a chance first. But he thinks we'll know a lot more by April.

Right now, it looks like we're in for a rough year. Maybe things will look brighter by April 15th. But inaction for too long will stifle reform in P-12, and higher ed as well. The losers will be our students - and our future economy. Let's hope it doesn't go that way.

This from H-L:

...Q: Might you change your opposition to any tax increase?
A: We will not be proposing any tax increases in our upcoming budget.

Q: Are you just trying to push casinos?
A: The numbers speak for themselves. We have a half-billion dollar hole. I won't be proposing a budget to be balanced on some speculative income off of casinos. That would not be responsible and I'm not going to do that.
One of the options that this commonwealth does have to create additional revenue is to allow limited expanded gaming. But that issue is hopefully to be addressed in this General Assembly and we won't know where that's going until April 15.

Q: Do you oppose a cigarette tax increase?
A: I don't favor any kind of increase of taxes at this time. I think Kentuckians are taxed enough, particularly in these hard economic costs. ...

Q: Aren't we just asking students to pay more in tuition?
A: I talked to university presidents about this. We want to make sure there is student aid for those who want to go to college.

Q: Would you veto a tax increase?
A: I don't sense any support in the General Assembly for a tax increase....

Draud tells schools to get ready for possible SEEK cuts

Below is the complete Email message sent to all state superintiendents yesterday:

From: Draud, Jon - Commissioner, Dept. of Education
Sent: Monday, January
07, 2008 9:29 AM
To: All State Supt
Cc: KDE Planning Committee
Subject: Budget situation
Importance: High

I have been notified by the Governor’s administration that the budget outlook for 2008-10 is extremely bleak. As a result, the SEEK formula is being considered for a
possible reduction. In my opinion, a reduction in the SEEK formula would be devastating for elementary and secondary education.

It is important that each school district superintendent start estimating how a 7% reduction in the SEEK formula would impact your school district. I will be in touch with you as more information comes forward but I wanted you to know what we may be facing.

Here's the H-L story.

Public schools told to brace for cuts ahead
7 PERCENT REDUCTION IN SEEK FUNDS 'POSSIBLE' IN 2008-09

...Beshear will make his budget proposals for both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years public on Jan. 29.

"We are not touching SEEK this fiscal year (2007-08)," Beshear said. "We have not made a determination for the next budget."

SEEK funding totals about $3 billion a year, and a 7 percent cut would be about $205 million, said Susan Weston, an independent education consultant focusing on school funding and a former director of the Kentucky Association of School Councils.

"At least since 1990 and the Kentucky Education Reform Act, K-12 has never faced a cut in funding of anything like this scale," Weston said. The possible cut would mostly affect districts with little property per pupil.

"In general you're talking poor Eastern Kentucky, and then some of the very rural districts," she said. Those districts "don't have that much they can tax." ...

Beshear Rules Out Tax Hike.........For Now

Mark Hebert over at WHAS reports:

Kentucky's new governor says he won't include any tax increase in his 2008-'10 budget proposal but he refused to say he'd veto a tax hike if one's included in the budget that's approved by the House and Senate.

Beshear told me and other reporters today that Kentucky is facing a half billion dollar budget shortfall over the next few years but he doesn't believe a tax hike is
needed "at this time." Beshear says he won't include any tax hikes in the budget he proposes to the legislature later this month. But when Joe Biesk of the AP asked Beshear if he would veto any tax hike if it hit his desk, Beshear appeared to duck the question, saying only that he didn't see any sentiment in the legislature for raising taxes to deal with what he's calling "a budget crisis." ...

Williams Questions Gov's Authority to Cut University Budgets?

This from the Courier-Journal:

Williams says governor does not have authority

to enact budget reduction plan

On the eve of the 2008 legislative session, Senate President David Williams said a few minutes ago on KET's Kentucky Tonight that he does not believe Gov. Steve Beshear has the legal authority to enact his budget reduction order.

On Friday, Beshear issued an executive order that cut $78 million from state agencies, including about $35 million from the public universities.Williams, a Republican, said he believes the governor should first spend the state's $145 million surplus from 2007 and $232 million rainy day fund before ordering state agencies to cut about 3 percent from their budgets.

"The governor in my opinion does not have the legal authority to enact the budget reduction plan," Williams said...

Higher Ed Stung by Ugly Budgetary Prospects

This from the Herald-Leader.

Report: State department told to

prepare "worst case" budgets

LEXINGTON, Ky. --Public universities and community colleges, along with other state agencies, could face major budget cuts in the next fiscal year.

State Budget Director Mary Lassiter and interim President Brad Cowgill of the Council on Postsecondary Education said Gov. Steve Beshear's administration is warning that state agencies may have up to 12 percent less money beginning July 1.

That reduction would be in addition to a 3 percent cutback now under way for the last half of the state's current fiscal year.

Education leaders warn that such cuts may lead to major tuition increases, reduced or eliminated programs, and layoffs...

This morning EKU President Doug Whitlock lamented such a "worst case scenairo" in an Email to the campus. "...The prospect of losing as much as 15 percent of our state support from one year to the next is daunting," Whitlock wrote. "I will not pretend for one moment that this would not have an impact on our programs and services and the way we do business...that would be disengenuous and you would know it..."

Whitlock called for the immediate freezing of all vacancies and for departments to employ the highest level of scrutiny on those positions...while "we continue to hope for the best and to prepare for the worst."

"The objective of this process in almost all cases will be a net reduction of filled positions," Whitlock said.

Budgetary and Legislative Complexities Confound Solutions for Kentucky Schools.

I was just wondering. Is No Child Left Behind "just what you get" when liberals and neocons agree on something? ...a big-hearted, empty-headed power trip?

Maybe it was just the one thing Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush could agree on.

It's the right idea, (insisting on a quality education for every child) warped by a wrong idea (that student achievement can be coerced "on the cheap.") where the end is supposed to justify the means.

As a result, Kentucky schools, which were already examining the performance of all subgroups of students under Senate Bill 168, saw its attempt to build a performance-based, school-centered assessment system disheveled by the combination of NCLB's bad method and unrealistic targets.

And, none dare oppose.

The Climate of Reform

The most prominent strategy employed in the schools under NCLB has involved a climate of coercion; the assumption being that students weren't doing better because of racist (or perhaps, classist) teachers. To some unmeasurable extent, this must surely have been true. But in my experience, for the vast majority of teachers it clearly was not.

The situation called for leadership. What it got was top-down management.

A lot of good teachers got the implicit (sometimes explicit) message that if a student failed, it was their fault. Period. No excuses.

A (brief?) philosophical interlude

It used to be that if a student came into a teacher's classroom and was unprepared, unwashed, unfed, and undisciplined and uncooperative - it was a parent's or student's responsibility.

Theoretically, the school provided equal opportunity. It was up to the student to take full advantage of what the system had to offer and pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. The problem with this philosophy was that it produced a system of "good schools" and "bad schools" and it put little pressure on teachers to work harder to reach "difficult" students. There was genuine effort but inadequate funding and no system-wide "stick."

In NCLB, President Bush found a piece of hickory; and he did not spare the rod.

Under the new logic, all children can learn - and if one does not, it is because the teacher hasn't done enough. Any teacher perceived to NOT be "on the bus" is said to be "making excuses" - proof of one's lack of dedication...or racism...or classism...you name it. It's what some school administrators call motivation.

The philosophical shift from equality of educational opportunity to equity of student achievement outcomes is about twelve years old. Is it also on its last legs?

Results (writ large) fall short

What about the results? Well, most of the results of a quality education are unmeasurable. But using what does get measured, three different 2007 studies ranked Kentucky's student achievement at 34th or better. Not the penthouse, but out of the basement. Today's goals are skyhigh and not only include overall growth, but growth and excellence for every subgroup of students.

KSN&C reported in March,

This year, Kentucky Department of Education officials told the [state] board that fewer than 40 percent of the state's public schools are on target to meet those goals.

So what have Kentucky's educational leaders said about it?

Board members said the state needs to develop a "sense of urgency" to find a solution. "I think it's a doable task," [former state board Chair, Keith] Travis said. "That will be the main objective of whoever the new commissioner will be."

[Almost Commissioner Barbara] Erwin - drinking deeply from the Kool-aide - said she [thought] it [was] possible for every child to be proficient by 2014. "Absolutely," she said. "I believe it is our moral and ethical responsibility (to see) that all children can reach those goals."

A More Rational Approach Meets a Deteriorating Budget

Jon Draud, most recently named the commonwealth's education commissioner, took a more reasoned approach that acknowledged both the possibilities and the realities.

Draud's top priority is to assure that Kentucky students meet proficiency standards by 2014, as NCLB requires. "But that must become a goal for more than educators if it is to be reached," Draud told H-L.

"We have to create a sense of urgency, to have people concerned about this again, like they were in 1990 for Kentucky's education reform. The business community has to lead the way," said Draud."Most research says for education reform to work, the business community has to be involved. It takes collaboration and cooperation. Without getting all the stakeholders involved, we're not going to reach proficiency," he said.

Those comments were made at the time Governor Fletcher was touting a much rosier fiscal outlook. Now the state is predicting a tepid 2.4 percent growth in revenue for the first year of the next biennial budget. That's a sharp decline from revenue growth of more than 9 percent in 2005 and 2006.

The budget crisis throws a major shadow over future prospects. Having neglected education funding in the mid to late 1990s, when there was no crisis, the legislature now finds itself in a box.

The Casino Gambling Solution

Will casino gambling solve the problem? No, but it sure will help - if we're all very patient. Assuming Kentucky voters approve such a measure, it will take several years to realize the $500 million in annual fiscal support Governor Steve Beshear estimates.

What happens until then?

President Lee Todd informed the UK campus by Email Friday,

We will continue to make the case as strongly as we can that the state must support the UK Business Plan as the mechanism for achieving our statutory mandate to become a Top 20 public research institution and for making the gains we all want in education, health care and economic development for Kentucky.

Todd's laser-like focus on quality is commendable - and the only "right" position a top-notch university president can take. But if the state coffers are empty, and there is no retreat from the pursuit of excellence, then the only remaining option includes large tuition increases.

But tuition increases pose affordability problems for many Kentucky students who are operating in the same economic climate as the schools, and will keep the goal of doubling the number of college graduates out of reach.

Surely by next year - with the budgetary shortfall estimated at $525 million - cuts will bite into P-12 education, which has largely escaped, so far. But P-12 won't be raising tuition.

How deep will the P-12 cuts be? ...and for how many years? If NCLB goes down (while I don't advocate it, that's OK by me) and Kentucky reduces its financial commitment to reform, and the hickory stick is put away, how many more schools will fail to meet their 2014 targets?

Will poor fiscal stewardship at the state level spell the end of real education reform in Kentucky?

What now?

What happens in the long run depends on the people of Kentucky. It seems clear that Frankfort politicians advocating tax hikes will be as rare as hen's teeth. But clearly, some kind of taxation has to be a part of any real long-term solution. The alternative is the abandonment of reform - which would galvanize Kentucky into the bottom realms of state economies for decades to come.

Only a strong push to continue improving the quality of Kentucky's schools and workforce from the grassroots citizenry will provide the motivation our state leaders need to do right by our children. ...all of our children.

Building that support will require persistent leadership over time. Citizens need to be informed about the successes our schools have produced, the looming budget crisis and its likely impact on our future economy. Teachers need to wake up. Kentucky needs champions who will tirelessly dedicate the time it takes to travel the state and regenerate the kind of support for reform we saw in the late 1980s.

Draud has the right approach in mind. Drawing support from the business community is critical. Going community to community is critical. Building alliances is critical. Spending time is critical. His plan is reminescent of earlier State Superintendents Robert J Breckinridge and John Grant Crabbe who used the bully pulpit to rally support we need. It's what a champion does.

The people of Kentucky need an education on the value of investing in education.

The ultimate constitutional responsibility lies with the legislature. But in the end, Kentuckians will get the schools they support; the schools they insist upon. In that sense, Kentucians will get the schools they deserve.

Teacher burnout? Blame the Parents.

That's the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Anxiety, Stress & Coping.

If you believe that "many of the demands of teaching (including disruptive students, high expectations from school officials and close scrutiny from parents) are universal" you may also be interested in a recent German study of teacher burnout.

Of course, if you are a veteran educator in Kentucky, you already know the impact of management factors (like high-stakes assessment) on the schools. Any study that fails to account for the powerful effects of a high-stakes testing environment is not likely to mean much.

Since about 1995, school reform has created a philosophical shift in the schools from Equality of educational opportunity to equity of student achievement outcomes. This occurred when schools began disaggregating student achievement data - a much more powerful tool for reform than many people initially realized.

Teachers (and principals) are on the front line. They meet the parents daily. They eat what the public feeds them. In that sense, much of the pressure teachers feel under high-stakes assessment is delivered by parents whose expectations are not met by the schools.

But we should all care about this.As the New York Times reported,

...The issue of teacher burnout is important because American schools today are experiencing high levels of teacher turnover as baby boomers retire and new teachers leave the field. According to the most recent Department of education statistics available, about 269,000 of the nation’s 3.2 million public school teachers, or 8.4 percent, quit the field in the 2003-2004 school year. Thirty percent of them retired, and 56 percent said they left to pursue another career or because they were dissatisfied. The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future has calculated that nearly a third of all new teachers leave the profession after just three years, and that after five years almost half are gone...

The New York Times story concludes,

To be sure, many issues play a role in teacher burnout and turnover. Dwindling school resources, low pay and high expectations for test scores from school districts are just some of the challenges teachers face. But the data from the German study also show that parents can have a big impact on a teacher’s happiness and stress...

Whitlock's solution: Only a quarter of EKUs cuts to come from personnel and operating budgets. Maintanence, new initiatives take hits.

This afternoon in an E-mail to the university community, President Doug Whitlock revealed his plan for dealing with the 3% budget reductions at EKU as called for by Governor Steve Beshear.

Beshear called for the reductions because of a critical shortage in state revenues, which combined with state spending to create a $424 million shortfall in the current budget. The state also projects a gap of $525 million for the first year of the 2008-10 biennium.

President Whitlock stated,

"Eastern Kentucky University will meet its current year base reduction in the following manner:
Base budget funding for deferred maintenance $1,000,000
Recurring contingency 500,000
President’s new initiatives fund 250,000
Personnel and operating budgets 622,800
Total $2,392,800"

Whitlock also stated that the manner in which these targets are met will be decided "within the cabinet level operational units," and that required personnel savings might be accomplished through normal attrition.

He cautioned that,

Since these reductions will be to our recurring base, it is important that these decisions be made strategically and in such ways as to protect the quality of the programs and services we provide to our students. Their best interests and success must remain foremost in our thinking.

At the same time we are implementing these cuts, we must, as a community, turn our attention to positioning ourselves for the next biennium. We will begin to do this with some conversations which I hope to begin having as early as next week. My commitment is to have Eastern as well prepared as possible for whatever eventuality we may face.

Whitlock called for understanding and encouraged the campus community to refrain from undue negativism about the circumstances. "This is not the first time the Commonwealth has faced a budgetary problem," he said, while committing to keep the campus fully informed as the situation progresses.

SOURCE: Whitlock E-mail

Principal Suspended over DUI. Board considers termnation.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools [Indiana] officials decided today to suspend Fishers High School principal Scott Syverson, who was charged Thursday with two counts of drunken driving in connection with a Dec. 22 traffic stop.

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools board agreed to meet next month for a vote on terminating Syverson's contract.

Assistant principal Jason Urban will take over as interim principal.

The board had convened an executive session today to discuss findings related to the Dec. 22 traffic stop, to determine whether Syverson had violated district employment rules and to decide if disciplinary action was warranted.

Prior to the meeting, board president Jeff Sturgis had indicated there were concerns among board members that the incident had compromised Syverson's ability to continue as an effective leader...

This from the Indianapolis Star. Photo from Atfishers.com.

You Can't Cut Your Way to Quality

This morning the Courier-Journal takes a look down the fiscal road and correctly points out the obvious truth. Some may not want to hear it - but it's no less true.

A budget that is inadequate PREVENTS our schools from reaching their mandated goals and in the process forces decisions that would never be made otherwise.

Under an inadequate budget QUALITY is forced to compete with AFFORDABILITY.

No lift in ongoing cuts

The 3 percent cut in state funding that Kentucky's public colleges and universities are being forced to absorb is a serious setback, especially for a system that has been charged with ambitious goals like "doubling the numbers" of graduates and competing among the nation's top research institutions.

However, the real problem lies ahead. The fiscal situation looks dark between now and the mid-summer end of the fiscal year, but the prospects for relief in the next two years seem dim, too. It's difficult to see any light at the end of that tunnel.

Ongoing analysis of state government's budget situation by Gov. Steve Beshear and his top advisers, as well as discussions with bond experts in New York, suggests the bottom line may be even worse than the "dire" situation to which Mr. Beshear already has alluded.

It's not surprising he wants immediate cuts, and the campuses will manage them, but what happens after that? If the reduced operating budgets for this fiscal year become the starting point for figuring the system's next biennial budget, that would be a crippling blow. It's difficult to see how the various institutions make any progress toward their assigned goals in such a situation.

Using the 3 percent reduction as a floor for calculating the future would be like grabbing a rocket that's just been fired and holding it there, wasting all the thrust.

The easiest temporary solution on the public campuses is a hiring freeze, as long as exceptions can be made for especially critical positions and for something like a signature "Bucks for Brains" hire. Personnel cuts drop money to the bottom line quickly and reliably. But looking into the next two years, analysts don't see state revenue recovering, what with the impact of rising oil prices and the unfolding subprime mortgage debacle.

The predicament on the campuses is exceedingly frustrating. For example, if the 3 percent cut carries over into the next biennium's budgeting, it would amount to telling the University of Kentucky, "You know that $20 million we gave you to fund your Top 20 Plan? We're taking half of that back." This at a time when UK has been earning national buzz for its effort to move into the ranks of the nation's top public research universities -- at a time when it has been making signature hires, based on a conviction among high-profile new faculty that the state is serious about developing a competitive higher education system.

Some things on UK's potential to-do list, if worst comes to worst, include capping admissions and eliminating new student financial aid programs (very bad ideas, running directly counter to the goal of graduating more degree-holders), decreasing investment in the commercialization of knowledge and economic development (an equally bad idea, given the overarching goal of improving Kentucky's per capita income), reducing faculty and staff compensation (so much for morale and commitment to quality) and raising tuition even beyond the Top 20 Plan's requirements (the worst possible idea, given the hits students already have taken at what is suppose to be a public university).

Gov. Beshear can't cut his way out of this state fiscal crisis. Without new revenue, he can only manage mediocrity. And that's no way to build a legacy of progress.

Exceptional Children Advisory Panel to Meet

This from KDE press release:

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – The State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children invites parents of children with disabilities, education leaders and professionals and other interested citizens to a public hearing scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 10, at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort.

The public hearing is a part of the panel’s January meeting that also will be held at the Capital Plaza Hotel. The primary purpose of the panel is to advise the Kentucky Department of Education’s Division of Exceptional Children Services on issues concerning the education of children and youth with disabilities.

Parents of children with disabilities, education leaders and professionals and other interested citizens are invited to express their comments regarding any issues in the education of children and youth with disabilities during the public hearing. There also will be an opportunity for participants to meet panel members.

The Governor appoints panel members, and meetings will be held in January, March, June and October of 2008.

Kentucky Post folds, then is reincarnated as KyPost.com

My northern Kentucky friends and family lament the loss of the Kentucky Post which ceased publication on the 31st. The Post traditionally was thought to be better focused on northern Kentucky than was the rival Enquirer. Now comes some cause for hope.

This from WebProNews:

Despite industry reports that print is alive and well, The Kentucky Post and sister publication The Cincinnati Post, both over a century old, were closed down by EW Scripps, only to be resurrected online as KyPost.com this week.

The website, like its print predecessor, will focus on news and issues affecting Northern Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, and will be hosted by Scripps-owned WCPO-TV.

Reactions mixed on requiring school bus seat belts

This from the Arizona Republic:

Southeast Valley [Arizona] public school officials have differing reactions to the new school bus requirements: All new mini-buses, those weighing 10,000 pounds or less, must be equipped with lap-and-shoulder belts and all buses will have seat backs raised from 20 inches to 24 inches.

Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, indicates raising seat backs to 24 inches would "likely reduce the potential for passenger override in a crash," reads the agency's proposal, referring to the possibility of students being thrown into another seat.

The agency acknowledges that lap-and-shoulder belts could enhance the safety of large school buses, but says that "realistically . . . we recognize that funds provided for pupil transportation are limited." ...

Principal charged with drunken driving, as students petition board for leniency

More from the Indianapolis Star:

The Hamilton County [Indiana] prosecutor today charged Fishers High School principal Scott Syverson with drunken driving, 12 days after he failed a breath test and a police officer drove him home instead of arresting him.

Syverson’s apparent intoxication during a police stop on Dec. 22 is also being investigated by the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees, which will meet Friday to discuss the case — and Syverson’s fate...

...At the same time the charges were announced, a group of Fishers students were getting signatures on their petition supporting the principal.In an attempt
to influence the board’s decision, Fishers High School senior and class president Mike Dunn organized a petition drive that brought dozens of students to the school Wednesday.Sitting at the school’s entrance, he obtained 141 signatures for presentation to the board...

...“I’m a big supporter of second chances,” said 18-year-old Sara Ling, a Fishers High School senior and student body president who was among those to sign the petition.“And I think the school should give him one.” ...

After media reports on the incident... Syverson presented a public apology for his behavior.“I am profoundly saddened and disappointed because I could have made far better choices and failed to do so,” his written statement said.

The Fishers police have also been under pressure for preceived preferential treatment. Captain Dave Dunbar who told the [non]arresting officer to use his discretion, acknowledged some responsibility for the incorrect decision. In a statement, Chief George Kehl said,

"...We will not punish, reprimand, or suspend Officer Kobli. He has been punished enough.

The lesson learned here is that our policy toward managing arrests of suspected drunken drivers needs to be reviewed and refined. We will begin this process immediately."

EKU to Host Diversity Conference Feb. 6-7

Eastern Kentucky University, the Southeast/SouthCentral Educational Cooperative, the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children, AmeriCorps, the Kentucky Center for School Safety and the Kentucky Department of Education will host the seventh annual Diversity Conference Feb. 6-7 in the Perkins Building on the EKU campus.

The conference, “Addressing Diversity Through Intervention,” will feature Knox County (Tenn.) School District Director of Pupil Personnel John McCook, a leading expert in the field of response to intervention who serves as a consultant for school systems across the nation; Nelson Lauver, a journalist, broadcaster and humorist who overcame a lifetime of illiteracy caused by undiagnosed dyslexia to create and host the nationally syndicated program, The American Storyteller Radio Journal; Carolyn Coil, internationally known speaker, author, trainer, consultant and educator; and Craig MacFarlane, an accomplished athlete who won his first blind national wrestling championship at age 13 after being diagnosed as blind at the age of 2, and author of the autobiography, “Inner Vision.”

The conference is designed for P-12 public school teachers, counselors and administrators; college and university faculty, staff and students; individuals who work in the social science fields, and educators and staff in the KECSAC programs.

Also featured will be a performance by The River City Drum Corp, a group of children and young adults between the ages of 2 and 18 who have been trained in African drumming techniques as well as the richness of African culture, and a presentation on The Freedom Center in Cincinnati, which houses a permanent exhibit on the Underground Railroad, routes enslaved black Americans took to gain their freedom during the 1800s.

The conference fee is $140 per person with registration by Jan. 11 and $175 per person for those registering Jan. 12 or later and covers costs of all conference materials, breakfast and lunch. Registrations can not be cancelled after Jan. 11, but may be transferred to another participant. For more information or registration materials, contact Tom Bonny at 859-622-8330 or tom.bonny@eku.edu.

SOURCE: EKU News Center