Superintendent feeling the heat in Mercer County budget crunch

Earlier this spring the Mercer County Board of Education approved a tentative budget calling for the elimination of 42 positions and a reduction of kindergarten from full-time to half-time. When Superintendent Bruce Johnson suggested that a 3.5 percent systemwide salary cut would free up enough funds to maintain the program, he got a strong reaction from faculty. It's been pretty much downhill for the superintendent ever since.

When Johnson quickly "found" money to keep the program without cutting salaries - but also without providing details of how that might happen - folks started grumbling about Johnson's salary and other perks. Teachers asked in a letter published in the Advocate-Messenger,

Why is our superintendent one of the highest paid superintendents in the state? You have made the contention that the 7.5 to 10% salary increase that came to Mercer County teachers two years ago with the merger, is primarily responsible for the current deficit and have intimated that if teachers cared about kindergarten we would be willing to sacrifice a mere 3.5% to save it.

What about the 93.75% salary increase the superintendent has had during his tenure in office? His salary has gone from a base of $80,000 to $155,000 and that doesn’t
include perks such as a provided vehicle to drive, gasoline for said vehicle, an expense account, etc… Where is his financial accountability and, just as important, where is the board’s accountability for continuing to raise his salary while considering cutting educational programs, teachers’ positions and salaries?

Mercer teachers pointed to a bloated central office and said, "The underlying concerns regarding the manner in which our district is managed still remain and it is our intention to make those concerns public so they can be addressed and dealt with... How is it that funding for kindergarten that could not be found after months of “diligent” effort, was suddenly identified in the last 24 hours?"

This from the Danville Advocate-Messenger:

Mercer superintendent’s future unclear

HARRODSBURG — Amid a blaze of criticism over the current budget crisis, Mercer County Superintendent Bruce Johnson sent mixed messages Wednesday regarding his future with the school system.

Fifth-Grade Academy Principal Dana Cobb confirmed Wednesday that at a closed meeting of administrators, Johnson revealed his intention to leave as head of Mercer County schools effective in December. Cobb also confirmed that she sent out an e-mail to her school’s faculty and staff informing them of the news.

When The Advocate-Messenger tried to reach Johnson for comment, secretary Jessica Sims said she could not confirm or deny Johnson’s exit. She said only Johnson himself could do that, but repeated attempts by the newspaper to contact him were
unsuccessful.

At noon Wednesday, Johnson sent a statement through Lisa Gross at the Kentucky Department of Education to The Advocate-Messenger, painting a less than certain picture of what his future holds.

“Since I began serving as superintendent of the Mercer County school district, I have been heartened by the dedication and work of the district’s staff. I’ve had moments of great pride over student accomplishments, and I’ve come to appreciate the intense involvement of our students’ parents and the community,” Johnson wrote in his statement dated Wednesday.

“I want to see the district through this time of difficulty, because I believe that we will come out of this stronger and more efficient. But, I do not want to be perceived as part of the problem.

“I will offer the Mercer County Board of Education the option to release me from my contract, if that is the wish of the board members. My overriding goal in this situation is to make the best possible decisions for the children in the Mercer County school district, and if the best scenario is for me to no longer serve as superintendent, I will accept that.”

Financial review requested

Johnson concluded by noting he has asked the Department of Education to conduct a
financial review of the school system, and that he plans to stay on board as superintendent throughout that process.

Gross said the audit is actually a review and that the district requested it.

“I hope that the community will support the Mercer County school system and show patience as we work through this stressful time,” Johnson ended in his remarks...

...This turn of events marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous few weeks for Mercer
County schools that garnered statewide attention for its monetary duress.

Earlier in the month, the Board of Education announced that the 2008-09 tentative budget called for $2 million in cuts, most noticeably being the elimination of 42 jobs — 20 certified and 22 classified — and the reduction of Mercer’s kindergarten program from full-time to half-day. Johnson had suggested that systemwide 3.5 percent salary cuts would free up enough funds to maintain the program, a possibility that drew harsh criticism.

Later, Mercer County announced it would continue to offer full-day kindergarten next year without the salary reductions but didn’t provide specifics about funding.

School board meetings on May 6 and May 13 proved volatile, with irate parents and teachers vocalizing their frustrations over the district’s fiscal dilemma.

Johnson, who at $155,827 a year is the highest paid area superintendent by more than $30,000, has been a focal point of the attacks.

As of now, next year’s budget remains tabled, and the time and date of the meeting to further discuss its contents remains to be announced...

Yesterday's News:

Johnson appears to resign as Mercer school superintendent

Amid fire for a budget crisis, Mercer County Superintendent Bruce Johnson told a closed administrators meeting this Wednesday that he intends to resign in December, according to a confirmed letter from Mercer County Fifth-Grade Academy Principal Dana Cobb to her school’s staff. However, in a statement, Johnson said he’s offered only the board of education the option to release him from his current contract.

This turn of events marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous few weeks for the Mercer County School System. Earlier in the month, the board of education announced that the 2008-09 tentative budget called for $2 million in cuts, most noticeably being the elimination of 42 jobs—20 certified and 22 classified—and the reduction of Mercer’s kindergarten program from full-time to half-day. Johnson suggested that system-wide 3.5 percent salary cuts would free up enough funds to maintain the program, a consideration that drew harsh criticism from both sides of the financial chasm.

The decision regarding kindergarten, however, has since been overturned, and Mercer County announced it would continue to offer full-day kindergarten for the
2008-09 school year without the salary reductions but declined to formally
announce where the funds to do so from. The tentative budget has remained table
until a special Mercer BOE meeting, the time of which is still to be announced.

The regularly scheduled May 6 and specially-called May 13 meetings of the Mercer County BOE proved fiery, with irate parents and teachers vocalizing their frustrations with the school system’s current fiscal dilemma.

Johnson, himself, and his current salary of $155,827 a year—a figure that makes him the highest paid area superintendent by more than $30,000—has been a focal point of the attacks. In 2000 as Mercer Superintendent, Johnson made $83,886, representing an 85 percent salary increase in eight years.

Mercer County Fifth-Grade Academy Principal Dana Cobb confirmed she sent out an e-mail to school faculty and staff saying that she had participated in an administrators meeting with Johnson Wednesday morning and that he said he would
be resigning in December.

Here's the backstory, also from the Advocate-Messenger:

Parents, teacher representatives offer

blistering attacks on Johnson, Mercer BOE

HARRODSBURG — For the first forty minutes of Tuesday night’s specially called Mercer County Board Meeting, Superintendent Bruce Johnson intently studied the Comprehensive School/District Improvement Plans and their accompanying documents. In fact, for the better part of the evening before the public forum, he appeared not to look up.

Click here to read the full text of a letter written by Mercer teachers to the Mercer school board.

Had he done so, Johnson would’ve seen a mass of parents and teachers that far eclipsed the massive tally at last week’s regularly scheduled meeting.

It was at that meeting Finance Officer Joy Campbell presented the board with a tentative budget for the 2008-2009 school year, which included $2.2 million in budget reductions from 2007-08. The budget resulted in a number of thought-to-be taboo decisions, the elimination of 42 employees and the scaling back of kindergarten from full-day to half-day being the most controversial of the lot.

The meeting saw several parents speak out their unhappiness with the reductions.

Johnson suggested a 3.5 percent system-wide salary decrease would potentially save enough funds to maintain full-day kindergarten. The board elected to table the issues and conduct a poll of Mercer faculty and staff regarding the potential salary cuts. A special board meeting was scheduled for tonight to discuss the tabled budget and salary schedule.

In the end, however, those items were left off the official agenda, and because of vocal displeasure from those who would’ve been affected, the poll was never conducted.

Informed of kindergarten status by e-mail Monday evening, Mercer County faculty and staff received an e-mail from Johnson informing that full-day kindergarten will be maintained through the 2008-2009 school year without cuts to salaries.

As the board trudged through the decidedly place holder agenda, a nervous twitter could be heard around the room. The board and the crowd alike anticipated an eventful public forum.

Board chairperson Glynda Short began the public comments in a matter-of-fact fashion.

“Well, I know everyone is here for a reason,” she said, inviting Campbell forward to deliver an official statement on the status of the budget and salary schedule. Campbell read verbatim from Johnson’s Monday night e-mail.

“The finance committee has worked diligently to scrutinize the financial status of the Mercer County School District,” read Campbell. “With careful review and thoughtful input from program representatives, the finance committee has determined that full-day kindergarten will be implemented for the 2008-2009 school year, without a district-wide decrease to the salary schedule.”

Short then informed the crowd that, despite what had been previously reported, there would be no board discussion of the budget at the meeting. She then turned the microphone over to the public, beginning a series of blistering tirades on not only the superintendent but the board as well. During the public comments, Johnson and the board remained silent.

The speeches hit a variety of topics, not all exclusive to the kindergarten situation or salary reduction.

Upset by elimination of school nurse

The elimination of a school nurse position hit home for several parents. Mary Dale Coleman, the mother of a child facing disabilities, attacked the board’s decision to cut a one of the school’s nursing positions.

“What you’re doing is discriminating against children with disabilities and kids who have special needs,” Coleman pleaded, saying that having four nurses for five buildings is completely unacceptable.

Next, an elementary school student whose teacher had been let go due to the budget cuts presented the board with a student-signed petition asking for her renewal.

Nekita Johnson took the microphone to speak on two fronts:
She’s both a fifth-grade teacher in the Mercer County School System and the parent of a student who’s allergic to peanuts. Johnson addressed the board, tears streaming down her face, regarding the importance of a nurse at Harlow Elementary and the quality of that school’s faculty.

“I was told by a pediatrician that I should homeschool my son. I was told that he’d never be able to go to public school,” Johnson said, her voice quivering. “But it was made possible due to the diligence of the teachers and staff at Harlow.” Johnson said that although her son is no longer at Harlow, the principle still stands.

“Nothing compares to the peace of mind provided by having a nurse there. Please don’t cut that nurse.”

Steve Goggin, a member of the high school’s site-based council, read an open letter collectively written by some — but not all — of Mercer’s remaining teachers. Before he began to read, Goggin offered that he “knows some feelings may get hurt, and for that I do apologize upfront, as I do not want to diminish the dedicated service of certain individuals, but for addressing the need for change, I offer no apologies.”

The letter, as read by Goggin, alleged a number of items, including that the board had publicly spun the $2.2 million shortfall on the expenses incurred by merging districts in 2006 and attempting to pit parents against teachers in a battle for kindergarten funding. What drew the most reaction from the crowd, however, was the letter’s alleged dissection of Johnson’s apparently rapid salary increases throughout recent years.

“Why is our superintendent one of the highest paid superintendents in the state?” Goggin read. “You have made the contention that the 7.5 to 10 percent salary increase that came to Mercer County teachers two years ago with the merger is primarily responsible for the deficit and have intimated that if teaches cared about kindergarten we would be willing to sacrifice a mere 3.5 percent to save it. What about the 93.75 percent salary increase the superintendent has had during his tenure in office.”

Goggin alleged that Johnson’s salary has gone from a base of $80,000 to $155,000.
An open records request filed by The Advocate-Messenger to obtain Johnson’s salary over the years has as of yet been unfulfilled.

The letter also designated that Johnson received perks such as a vehicle to drive, gas for said vehicle and an expense account.

Goggin’s reading was concluded with a plea for honest answers and explanations, and reminding the board that “the education of the student needs to always be the primary focus of any decision, be it fiscal or otherwise.”

Upon completion, Goggin received a standing ovation from those in attendance and no reaction from the board or Johnson.

Several other parents took to the microphone next, several questioning political motives and ripping at Johnson’s salary.

Teacher alleges to have evidence worthy of board members' removal

Things got even more personal when Laura Freeman, a fifth-grade teacher in Mercer, took to the podium, alleging to hold evidence of several grounds for dismissal for board members. She revealed that she’d been in contact with the Attorney General about the current situation.

“Just in case you’ve forgotten, the Attorney General can have you removed if there is just case, and there certainly is. This is the only way we can get to the bottom of this. The only way.”

Freeman also said that it was a shame but “some teachers are afraid for their jobs if they speak up.”

If things were heated before, they exploded when Dallas Waterfill took the floor, ignoring the podium, favoring to get within inches of Johnson’s face on several occasions. Waterfill alleged that Johnson had fabricated a meeting between the two regarding electricity invoices.

“I never, never, never had that meeting with Johnson. It took 65 years of my life to build a good reputation, and I can’t stand for someone like him to try tearing it up.”

At times, Waterfill’s rant became so intense, the crowd let out moans of alarm and worry. Waterfill called for immediate action that didn’t occur.

“Something needs to be done right now!” he screamed. “What if he (Johnson) did as a private citizen what he’s done to Mercer County?”

After Waterfill returned to the audience, an uncomfortable air continued to engulf the auditorium.

Before adjournment, Short was asked that with all of the contradicting information being provided by the board, when an official announcement regarding the budget would be made.

“The details are sill being straightened out. You’ll be notified in advance.”

Mercer school board makes no announcement on superintendent's future

This from the Danville Advocate-Messenger:

HARRODSBURG — Those looking for a sense of resolution to the ongoing saga of Superintendent Bruce Johnson and the Mercer County School district will have to wait a bit longer. Despite buzz to the contrary, the Mercer County BOE made no announcement Tuesday night of Johnson’s future relationship with the school system.

Tuesday night’s special meeting of the Mercer County Board of Education may have had only two items on the agenda, but that didn’t stop dozens of concerned citizens, parents and teachers from attending.

The Mercer County BOE will meet again 5:30 p.m. Thursday with three items on the agenda. Among those items are approval of the tentative budget and a public participation forum.

Scheduled for Tuesday's meeting were an approval of minutes from the special May 13 BOE meeting and an executive session to discuss a personnel issue, and while no one would confirm or deny whether the issue pertained to Johnson, many believed that to be the case.

Last week, Johnson sent mixed signals about his intentions with Mercer County schools. In a May 21 meeting with school system administrators, Johnson revealed he intended to resign effective in December. This was confirmed by Mercer County Fifth-Grade Academy Principal Dana Cobb, who was present at the meeting.

The issue complicated even further when, later that day, Johnson released a statement through Lisa Gross at the state Department of Education stating he’d offered the Mercer board the option to release him from his contract.

As he entered the auditorium Tuesday night, Johnson was smiling, a difference in demeanor in a month that’s seen Mercer County fall under the state spotlight for financial woes.

In early May, Mercer County schools announced $2 million in cuts for the 2008-09 tentative budget. Among those were the elimination of 42 jobs — 22 classified and 20 certified — as well as a reduction in the system’s kindergarten from full-time to half-day.

Johnson proposed systemwide 3.5 percent salary cuts to free up funds for the program, a notion that drew the ire of most teachers and staff. A suggested poll of faculty was never conducted, and the idea was scrapped.

Since then, however, the board announced the system will be able to fund full-day kindergarten for next year, yet declined to offer an explanation on how. The issue remains murky, and the tentative 2008-09 budget tabled and unapproved.

It took only 22 seconds for the board to approve the minutes from the last meeting and enter the executive session. Attorney Bill Barnett joined the board as members exited the auditorium.

Crowd waited for announcement

Most in the crowd remained calm and patient during the two hours and twenty minutes of the executive session, proving the requested presence of Harrodsburg Chief of Police Ernie Kelty to be unnecessary. However, when the board descended the staircase at the meeting’s conclusion, the audience's chatter went silent with anticipation of an announcement.

But that wasn’t to be the case.

“After the executive session, we’ve had discussions that could lead to the dismissal of an individual employee,” said Chairperson Glynda Short. “There was no action taken, but an additional meeting will be held after the results of our requested financial review. That’s the only statement we have.”

Johnson didn’t return with the board after the private session, and the meeting was adjourned without him to the audible groans of those in attendance.

Short’s remarks for the board may have been brief, but she did offer personal comments of her own.

As reporters from The Advocate-Messenger and The Harrodsburg Herald placed their recording devices on the board’s table, Short could be heard making several sarcastic comments.

“Maybe they’ll get it right this time if they’ve got a microphone up here,” Short said to other board members. She repeated this statement twice.

Short, when asked to elaborate on her remark, said that she was misquoted by The Harrodsburg Herald’s C.J. Ratliff in his story from the board’s last meeting. Ratliff offered he recorded all of the board meetings and welcomed Short to review his past recordings with him. The invitation was declined.

After last week’s developments, calls from both newspapers to Short went unreturned. Short explained the reason for this was she was out of town.

Alvis Johnson, a former employee of the Harrodsburg district, was on hand at the meeting. Johnson sympathized with both sides. He said he knows what it’s like to be in the board’s position of scrutiny but also felt for the parents who came to the meeting looking for closure.

“I am I little disappointed for the parents who sat and waited for more than two hours for them to take action.”

Johnson resigns Mercer post

This from the Advocate Messenger:

Embattled Superintendent says he'll step down Dec. 31

HARRODSBURG - Those who thought a resolution to the saga of Superintendent Bruce Johnson and the Mercer County Board of Education had been reached should remove their bookmarks, as a surprising new chapter has been written.

Tuesday night at the end of a special board meeting, Chairwoman Glynda Short read a short letter from Johnson announcing his resignation as superintendent effective Dec. 31.

The announcement came as a shock to not only those in the audience but also to board members and staff. Short said she had received the letter only a few moments before the meeting. To call the last two months tumultuous for Johnson and the board would likely be regarded as an understatement, and Tuesday's turn would seem to mark the second time in the span of a few weeks that Johnson has announced his intention to leave the district.

In early May, Mercer announced a vast number of budget cuts for next school year, including elimination of 42 jobs and reduction of the kindergarten program from full day to half day.

This, and Johnson's ensuing proposal of a 3.5 percent salary cut for all district
employees as a way to hypothetically fund full-day kindergarten, sparked
controversy.

Eventually, full-day kindergarten was saved by moving around $250,000 in capital outlay funds, and the idea of salary cuts was scrapped. But during a near-month long period of uncertainty when the budget remained tabled and the capital outlay funds solution was a secret, Johnson came under heavy scrutiny, and research conducted by The Advocate-Messenger confirmed what was widely rumored: Johnson was by far the area's highest paid superintendent, earning $155,827 this year.

In late May, Johnson offered the school board the option to release him from his contract. At a May 27 meeting, the board met behind closed doors for 2-1/2 hours to discuss personnel but said no action would be taken.

Two days later, the 2008-09 budget was approved, with the capital outlay plan finally being revealed. Johnson said he wished to clarify his position and withdrew the option he'd placed before the board.

"If I decide to retire," Johnson said, "I will put in writing to the board asking them
to release me from my contract." And now he has. Johnson's announcement comes merely days before his new contract, which was signed Jan. 31, was to take effect. The contract would have started July 1 and run through June 30, 2012.

"I have to say that I'm not totally surprised by it, but I'm not necessarily happy about it," said Short. Erin Milburn, a teacher at the high school who served as a teacher representative at the meetings, often questioning board policy and encouraging amendments to make information more accessible, was also present at the meeting. She praised Johnson in what she called "a smart move."

"I think it shows wisdom on his part, and I think the decision was done with dignity and with respect to the chaos that's been going on," said Milburn. "He's trying to do the right thing, and I appreciate that." ...

Backstory here.

Johnson to stay on with Mercer

This from the Advocate-Messenger, photo by Charlie Cox:

Tentative budget approved

HARRODSBURG - Bruce Johnson has decided to stay on board as the head of Mercer County schools. He made his plans clear at the end of Thursday night’s special meeting of the Mercer County Board of Education, during which the long-awaited approval of the 2008-09 tentative budget also took place.

The two events would seem to provide temporary bookends for what has been a seemingly endless saga of Mercer’s fiscal problems.

Thursday’s meeting was in sharp contrast to the one on Tuesday that offered a two-and-half hour executive session and no comment or resolution of Johnson’s status or the budget...

...All eyes were on Johnson as he entered the room at Thursday’s meeting, and Chairperson Glynda Short called the meeting to order, acknowledging the sizable crowd in attendance.

She introduced two guests, Larry G. Stinson, associate commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education and Brad Hughes of the Kentucky School Boards Association. Both men addressed the crowd and stayed after the meeting to speak with those who had questions.

Since the board has asked the Department of Education to conduct a full review of the system, Stinson said he was on-hand to explain what exactly will be looked at. According to Stinson, agents will inspect all of the financial records, attendance records, personnel records, audit reports, and examine operations not only of the current Mercer County system but of the two former school districts as well from two years before the merger...

Johnson's decision to retire a good one

This from the Harrodsburg Herald:

We were relieved to hear Tuesday that Mercer County School Supt. Bruce Johnson has made the decision to retire from his position in December.

Johnson previously stated he planned to resign in December, then said he had decided to serve out his four year contract which was recently renewed. We are glad he has given the matter more thought and now plans to retire.

While the buck stops with the superintendent in most people's opinions, the school board has to take its share of the blame for the financial state of the school system as well. The board approves expenditures and financial reports and should not have been caught unaware of the current dilemma. Any board member who does not have time to be thoroughly informed on the financial status of the school system, at all times, needs to follow Johnson's lead and resign or retire, saving voters the trouble of not re-electing them.

Since Johnson initially announced $2 million in budget cuts for the coming year, including the loss of some jobs, and a recommendation to cut teacher salaries to save the full-day kindergarten program, he, and his school board have come under fire. We believe the initial inquiries were justified, and even though money was found to save the kindergarten program and salaries, we believe continued inquiries are also justified. More and more questions have surfaced as expenditures are beginning to be examined in depth.

If any good has come from the financial state of the school system, it is that community members as a whole have opened their eyes and have begun to question items they should have been watchdogging all along. We hope the questions continue until satisfactory answers are received. The watch dog does not need to sleep, and the school board needs to beware of the dog. It can have a nasty bite come election day.

Kentucky's Final Four History is Truly Impressive

This from Tim Letcher at SEC News:

When Kentucky meets Louisville shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday night in New Orleans, the Wildcats will be making their 15th appearance in the NCAA Final Four. That’s the third-highest total in the history of the NCAA Tournament, behind only North Carolina and UCLA.

Below is a look back at each of the storied program's appearances in the Final Four.

1942 (Final Four) - Kentucky’s first appearance in the Final Four came in 1942, which was Adolph Rupp’s 12th season at the helm of the program. Kentucky won the SEC Tournament championship, earning the right to play in the NCAA Tournament in New Orleans.  Only eight teams were invited to the NCAA Tournament in those days, so Kentucky only needed to beat Illinois to make the Final Four. The Wildcats did just that, winning  46-44, marking the first NCAA Tournament win in school history. In the national semifinals, Kentucky lost to Dartmouth, 47-28. Junior guard Marvin Akers led the Wildcats in scoring that season, at 7.6 points per game. Junior center Mel Brewer averaged seven points per game and junior forward Milt Ticco averaged 5.8 points per contest.

1948 (NCAA Championship #1) – Kentucky’s first NCAA championship came in 1948, with a team called the “Fabulous Five” bringing the first title back to Lexington. After losing only twice in the regular season, Kentucky won the SEC Tournament, then won three straight games for the championship. Kentucky beat Columbia 76-53 in the round of eight, then beat Holy Cross 60-52 in the Final Four. In the championship game, Kentucky downed Baylor, 58-42. Kentucky went on to compete in the Olympic Trials, where they beat Baylor again. This team was also the core of the 1948 United States Olympic Team, which beat France 65-21 to win the gold medal in London, England. Alex Groza and Ralph Beard led Kentucky in scoring that season, averaging 12.5 points per game. Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones averaged 9.3 points for the Wildcats.

1949 (NCAA Championship #2) – Kentucky returned nearly all of the 1948 national championship team in 1949, and the Wildcats put together a 32-2 campaign behind a quartet of talented seniors. Alex Groza was the standout, averaging 20.5 points per game. His fellow seniors Ralph Beard (10.8), Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones (8.6) and Cliff Barker (7.3) all played their roles very well. After losing to Loyola of Chicago in the NIT, Kentucky turned its attention to the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky beat Villanova, 85-72 in the round of eight in New York, before pounding Illinois, 76-47, also in New York. In the NCAA Championship in Seattle, Kentucky got 25 points from Groza in a 46-36 win over Oklahoma A&M, bringing another title back to the Bluegrass.

1951 (National Championship #3) – In 1951, Kentucky turned to a “giant” to win its third NCAA Championship in four years.  That “giant” was seven-foot junior center Bill Spivey, who towered over most of Kentucky’s opponents that season. The Wildcats posted a 32-2 record behind Spivey’s 19.2 points per game.  In 1951, the NCAA Tournament field expanded from eight teams to 16, so the Wildcats had to win a fourth game on their way to the title. In round one, Kentucky downed Louisville, 79-68. In the second round, Kentucky beat St. John’s, 59-43 before beating Illinois, 76-74. In the NCAA Championship game in Seattle, Kentucky had only six healthy players, but got 22 points from Spivey and 10 from an ailing Cliff Hagan to beat Kansas State, 68-58. Kentucky trailed 29-27 at the half, but stormed back behind Hagan to win championship number three.

1958 (National Championship #4) – The 1958 Kentucky Wildcats were not one of Rupp’s best regular season teams. Kentucky was 19-6 in its regular season games, but the Wildcats got hot at the right time, during the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky hosted the Mideast Regional, and the Wildcats posted victories over Miami of Ohio (94-70) and Notre Dame (89-56) to advance to the Final Four in Louisville. Kentucky got a scare in the national semifinals before beating Temple, 61-60. Then in the finals, Kentucky faced perhaps the best player in the nation, Seattle’s Elgin Baylor. In the championship game, Baylor had a huge game, with 25 points and 19 rebounds, but Kentucky got 30 points from Vernon Hatton to win Rupp’s fourth national championship, 84-72. Johnny Cox had 24 points and 16 rebounds for Kentucky, while John Crigler added 14 points and 14 rebounds. Kentucky twice battled back from 11-point deficits and actually didn’t lead until 6:08 left in the game, when Don Mills hit a hook shot to give the ‘Cats a 61-60 lead.

1966 (National Runner-Up) – After a few lean years, Kentucky found its way back to the Final Four in 1966 with a team that became known as “Rupp’s Runts” due to their lack of size. Kentucky found itself in the Mideast Regional, where the Wildcats beat Dayton 86-79, allowing Rupp to pass Phog Allen as the winningest coach in Division I history. The next night, Kentucky beat Michigan 84-77 to advance to the Final Four in College Park, Md. In the semifinals, Kentucky beat Duke, 86-79 and advanced to the championship game, where they would meet Texas Western. This is the game made famous by the movie Glory Road, when Don Haskins’ team of five African-American players would beat all-white Kentucky 72-65 in the championship game. Texas Western’s Bobby Joe Hill led all scorers with 20 points, while Kentucky got 19 points apiece from Louie Dampier and Pat Riley.

1975 (National Runner-Up) – By the time Kentucky returned to the Final Four in 1975, several things had changed .Most notably, Kentucky was now coached by former Rupp player and assistant coach Joe B. Hall. The 1975 team was Hall’s third Kentucky squad, and the Wildcats were finally primed for a run back to the Final Four. This team got most of its scoring production from seniors and freshmen. Seniors Kevin Grevey (23.6 ppg) and Jimmy Dan Conner (12.4) led the team in scoring, followed by freshmen Rick Robey (10.4) and Jack Givens (9.4). Another change was that the NCAA Tournament field had expanded, so Kentucky had to win three games to make the Final Four. Kentucky got past Marquette (76-54) and Central Michigan (90-73) before beating heavily-favored Indiana, 92-90, breaking the Hoosiers’ 34-game winning streak. The Final Four was in San Diego, and Kentucky beat Syracuse 95-79 in the semifinals. In the championship game, Kentucky ran into UCLA and legendary coach John Wooden in what would be the Wizard of Westwood’s final game. Despite 34 points from Grevey, Kentucky lost 92-85.

1978 (National Championship #5) – The stage was set for the 1978 Kentucky team to do something special. Kentucky had not won a national championship since 1958, and Hall had assembled a team that was ready to bring the big trophy back to Lexington. Kentucky went 25-2 in the regular season, losing only at Alabama and at LSU. The Wildcats opened the 1978 NCAA Tournament by beating Florida State (85-76) and Miami of Ohio (91-69). In the Mideast Regional Finals, Kentucky met Michigan State and its outstanding freshman guard, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Kentucky held Johnson to only six points and beat the Spartans, 52-49. In the Final Four in St. Louis, Kentucky beat future UK coach Eddie Sutton and his Arkansas Razorbacks, 64-59. Jack Givens had 23 points and James Lee added 13. In the NCAA Championship game, Kentucky faced Duke, and Givens had one of the greatest games in tournament history. The senior forward from Lexington hit 18-of-27 from the field and five-of-eight from the free throw line, scoring 41 points as the Wildcats beat the Blue Devils, 94-88.

1984 (Final Four) – The 1983-84 Kentucky Wildcats appeared to have a team that could win another national championship. This Kentucky team’s strength was inside, with the “Twin Towers” Sam Bowie and Melvin Turpin, who were 7-1 and 6-11, respectively. Kentucky also had a pair of very good forwards, Kenny “Sky” Walker and freshman Winston Bennett. Kentucky went 23-4 in the regular season, then won the SEC Tournament in Nashville, beating Charles Barkley and his Auburn Tigers 51-49 in the championship game. In the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky stormed past BYU (93-68) before returning to Rupp Arena for the Mideast Regional. In the first game of the regional, Kentucky got past intrastate rival Louisville, 72-67 before topping Illinois, 54-51. Kentucky returned to the Final Four for the ninth time in school history. The Wildcats faced the Georgetown Hoyas in the national semifinals in Seattle. Things started well for Kentucky, as the Wildcats took a 29-22 halftime lead. But the second half was a disaster for Hall’s team. Kentucky hit only three-of-33 (9.1 percent) of its shots in the second half, and Georgetown rallied past Kentucky, 53-40. The 40 points was the lowest scored by a Final Four team since 1949. Kentucky was able to hold Georgetown standout Patrick Ewing to eight points and nine rebounds. Bowie was the only Wildcat in double figures, as he had 10 points.

1993 (Final Four) – After a nine-year absence, a pair of coaching changes and a recovery from probation, Kentucky returned to college basketball’s biggest state again in 1993. The previous season, Kentucky had been denied a trip to the Final Four by a guy named Christian Laettner and a shot you may have seen. So the 1993 Wildcats, under the direction of Rick Pitino, were determined to make the Final Four. After a 23-3 regular season, Kentucky won the SEC Tournament, then started their tournament run with a thumping of Rider, 96-52. The ‘Cats followed that with an easy win over Utah, 83-62. In the Southeast Regional in Charlotte, Kentucky blitzed Wake Forest, 103-69 and Florida State, 106-81 to make the Final Four. In New Orleans, Kentucky faced Michigan and its famed “Fab Five”. Despite 26 points from junior Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky lost in overtime, 81-78. Kentucky also got 16 points from Dale Brown and 12 points and six assists from Travis Ford, but foul trouble doomed the ‘Cats. Michigan’s Chris Webber led all scorers with 27 and Jalen Rose added 18 for the Wolverines.

1996 (National Championship #6) – Much like Kentucky’s team in 1978, the 1996 version of the ‘Cats was expected to do big things. After losing its second game of the season, 92-82 to UMass and a coach named John Calipari, Kentucky went on a 27-game winning streak, including a perfect record in the SEC regular season. Kentucky did fall to Mississippi State, 84-73 in the SEC Tournament Championship, and that seemed to motivate this group of ‘Cats. Kentucky opened its six-game run to the title by crushing San Jose State, 110-72. The ‘Cats followed that by thumping Virginia Tech (84-60) and Utah (101-70). In the Midwest Regional finals, Kentucky thumped Wake Forest and Tim Duncan, winning 83-63 in a game that wasn’t that close. Kentucky reached the Final Four in East Rutherford, N.J., where they had a rematch with Calipari and UMass. This time, Kentucky got 20 points from Tony Delk and 14 from Antoine Walker to beat the Minutemen, 81-74. UMass big man Marcus Camby scored 25 in the loss. Kentucky advanced to face Jim Boeheim and Syracuse in the championship. In the title game, Delk was outstanding again, scoring 24 points, while freshman Ron Mercer added 20 as Kentucky claimed the national championship for the first time in 18 years by winning 76-67.

1997 (National Runner-Up) – After losing much of its scoring from the previous season, the 1997 Wildcats weren’t expected to be able to contend on a national level. But Kentucky’s “Air Pair”, Ron Mercer and Derek Anderson, had other ideas. Kentucky wasn’t overwhelming in the regular season, losing four games, including a senior day loss at home to South Carolina. But when the postseason hit, the ‘Cats once again hit their stride. Playing without Anderson, who injured his knee earlier in the season, Kentucky roared through the SEC Tournament, winning all three games by at least 18 points. The Wildcats started their NCAA Tournament run by thumping Montana, 92-54 and beating Iowa, 75-69. In the West Regional in San Jose, Kentucky beat St. Joseph’s, 83-68 and Utah 72-59. The Wildcats advanced to a second straight Final Four, this time in Indianapolis. In the national semifinals, Kentucky downed Minnesota, 78-69 behind 19 points from Mercer and 13 from Anthony Epps. Kentucky met Arizona in the national championship game, and it was a classic. Epps hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation to tie the game at 74. But in overtime, Arizona’s Miles Simon took over, and his Wildcats beat Kentucky, 84-79. Scott Padgett led Kentucky with 17 points, Mercer had 13 and Nazr Mohammed had 12.

1998 (National Championship #7) – Following the 1997 season, Pitino left Kentucky to become head coach of the Boston Celtics. In his place, Kentucky hired former Pitino assistant Orlando “Tubby” Smith, who inherited a team led by seniors Jeff Sheppard and Allen Edwards, as well as juniors Nazr Mohammed, Scott Padgett and Wayne Turner. It took this group of ‘Cats quite a few games to adapt to Smith’s coaching style. After losing to Ole Miss on Valentine’s Day, Kentucky was 22-4 and this didn’t

look like a team that would make a title run. At that point, Smith and his Wildcats got on the same page. Kentucky won its last four regular season games, all three games in the SEC Tournament, then began another NCAA Tournament run. Kentucky beat South Carolina State (82-67) and St. Louis (88-61) to advance to the South Regional in St. Petersburg, Fla. Kentucky thumped UCLA, 94-68 in the regional semifinals, setting up another regional final against Duke, which had broken Kentucky hearts in 1992. In this game, Kentucky fell way behind. In fact ,the ‘Cats trailed by 17 in the second half before mounting a rally. When Padgett hit a three-pointer with less than a minute to go, Kentucky pushed past the Blue Devils and eventually won, 86-84. In the national semifinals in San Antonio, Kentucky fought from behind once again, and beat Stanford in overtime, 86-85 behind 27 points from Sheppard. And in the championship game, Kentucky found itself behind yet again, 41-31 to Utah. But the ‘Cats rallied in the second half and won their seventh NCAA Championship, 78-69 over Utah. Padgett had 17 points and Sheppard had 16 for Kentucky. The nickname “Comeback Cats” was given to this team, because of their ability to continually come from behind.

2011 (Final Four) – In only his second year at Kentucky, John Calipari got Kentucky back to the Final Four, ending the longest drought in school history without an appearance in the event. The 2011 team didn’t have the raw talent of the 2010 team that lost in the regional finals, but the 2011 ‘Cats eventually figured out how they needed to play. After losing at Arkansas on February 23, Kentucky was 19-8 overall, and the rest of the season could have gone either way. But Kentucky rallied to win its final regular season game, then three straight in the SEC Tournament for yet another title. Kentucky was seeded fourth in the NCAA Tournament, which was probably not good enough for this team. In Kentucky’s first game in the Big Dance, freshman guard Brandon Knight hit a game-winning shot, pushing the ‘Cats past Princeton, 59-57. Kentucky then beat West Virginia, 71-63 to advance to the East Regional in Newark, N.J. In the regional semifinals, Kentucky upset the region’s top seed, Ohio State, 62-60. Knight was the hero for the second time in the tournament, as his jumper with five seconds left in the game lifted Kentucky to a 62-60 win over the Buckeyes. Kentucky then beat North Carolina, 76-69 to advance to the Final Four for the first time in 13 years. In Houston, Kentucky fell behind Connecticut in the first half, and trailed 31-21 at the break. Kentucky rallied in the second half behind Knight (17 points), Doron Lamb (13) and Terrence Jones (11), but it wasn’t enough as the ‘Cats fell to the eventual national champions, 56-55.

There is still basketball left to play for the 2012 Wildcats, who are hoping to bring an eighth championship to Lexington.

Like We Have Money to Burn

House Bill 215 would prohibit Common Core, Next Gen Science, 

and Waste Millions in Kentucky Teachers' Time and Effort since 2010 

Yesterday, eleven Republican members of the Kentucky House of Representatives submitted House Bill 215, which if approved by the Kentucky General Assembly, would not only outlaw Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Next Generation Science Standards, and any assessments tied to them, but would waste millions of dollars already spent, along with countless hours of Kentucky teachers' time and effort to implement the dictates of Senate Bill 1 (2009). The bill would also "require" Kentucky to spend millions more developing a new curriculum to satisfy SB1 - an Act the General Assembly did not fund the first time - and absolutely no one believes the General Assembly would fund new measures now.

The Kentucky Department of Education estimates that dismantling CCSS would cost the state's schools tens of millions of dollars. "Since Senate Bill 1 (2009) requires new standards, we estimate it would take a minimum of $35 million to develop, train teachers, and implement replacement standards in English/language arts and mathematics." That doesn't count money that would have been lost on the Next Generation Science Standards.

Earlier this week, Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd threw out a poorly conceived, and clearly political, anti-Common Core suit brought by TEA Party activist David Adams of Nicholasville. Adams is the President of Kentucky Citizens Judicial, an entity whose motto is "Restoring Freedom One Lawsuit at a Time."

Opposing the Common Core State Standards has become a cause célèbre among right-wing conservatives since April of last year, when the Republican National Committee signaled its political activists to oppose this previously conservative idea as a means of continued opposition to President Barack Obama. Moderate Republicans still count themselves among some of the strongest supporters of Common Core. 

To be fair, the Obama administration brought this on themselves when Education Secretary Arne Duncan forced adoption of CCSS into the federal Race to the Top competition. This heavy-handed leverage of favored corporate education reform approaches (along with school choice, high-stakes testing, and Draconian teacher evaluation schemes) has turned a national multi-state effort to assure rigorous education standards focused on college- and career-readiness, into a federalized political football.

Opposition to Common Core centers around the question of whether the federal government is overstepping its bounds by - illegally perhaps - intruding into the states' business by prescribing a set of curriculum standards, which is specifically outlawed by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. 

Students of education history will recall that it was President Lyndon B. Johnson who, encouraged by Martin Luther King, Jr., first used a "carrot and stick" approach to desegregate the public schools - a cause that is fundamental to U. S. citizenship. 'Desegregate your schools, and you will be eligible to share in $4 billion dollars of ESEA compensatory education funding. Fail to desegregate, and we just might send in federal troops, and we'll withhold your state's share of federal dollars to boot.' A decade after Brown v Bd of Education, barely 1% of black students attended school with whites. By the 1970s that percentage had grown to 75. It worked.

But this approach was also used by President George W. Bush - absent the troops - to force states into high-stakes testing. The schools are critically important for a prosperous nation, but not in the same way guaranteed rights of citizenship are. Initially Kentucky resisted NCLB, under the belief that the CATS assessment was a better testing system by itself than it would be with the annual NCLB tests layered on top. But the Bush administration insisted on pushing its education agenda. 'No tests, no money.' Kentucky could not resist the federal dollars, and the state capitulated. Kentucky's fears proved to be valid when in 2009 Senate Bill 1 was passed in an effort to kill the CATS test. Most Kentucky students were (and probably still are) spending as much as a fourth of their instructional time in test preparation. 

The desegregation of our society (which was largely accomplished by the desegregation of our schools and military) seems a worthy reason for President Johnson to have used such federal power. After all, history has taught us that it is not the state government that guarantees citizens their constitutional rights. The federal government must do that. But when the federal government intrudes into less critical areas, such as school tests and curriculum, it invites criticism. 

Multi-state standards which assure that any recipient of a U. S. high school diploma is ready for college or career, is a fine idea. On the other hand, House Bill 215 is a political act that would foolishly waste scarce resources while failing to improve the schools.

HB 215 (BR 342)

Sponsors Thomas Kerr (R-Kenton), Diane St. Onge (R-Kenton), Myron Dossett (R-Christian), Joseph Fischer (R-Campbell), Mike Harmon (R-Boyle/Washington), Kim King (R-Anderson/Mercer/Spencer), Stan Lee (R-Fayette), Tim Moore (R-Hardin), Sal Santoro (R-Boone), Russell Webber (R-Bullitt),  Addia Wuchner (R-Boone).

 

     AN ACT relating to public school standards.
     Create a new section to KRS Chapter 158 to prohibit the Kentucky Board of Education and the Kentucky Department of Education from implementing the English language arts and mathematics academic content standards developed by the Common Core Standards Initiative and the science academic content standards developed by the Next Generation Science Standards Initiative; require the state board to recommend new content standards to school districts and schools after consultation with the Council on Postsecondary Education; require public involvement in standards development; clarify the authority of the local board of education to adopt standards which differ from or exceed the standards approved by the state board; clarify that the school-based decision making councils shall develop policies based upon the standards adopted by the local boards of education; prohibit state officials from ceding control of education content standards and assessments; prohibit withholding of state funds from school districts for adopting different academic content standards; amend KRS 156.070 to limit disclosure of personally identifiable information; direct the Kentucky Board of Education to require that the Department of Education and all school districts adhere to transparency and privacy standards when outsourcing data and Web-based tasks to vendors; clarify vendor contract requirements; amend KRS 158.6453 to permit a local board of education to supplement the state board-approved academic content standards with higher and more rigorous standards and require school councils to use them to fulfill curriculum policy requirements; amend KRS 160.345 to clarify school council curriculum policy authority.

     Jan 15-introduced in House

Here’s the new language: 

AN ACT relating to public school standards.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

SECTION 1.   A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 158 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:

(1)       Notwithstanding any statute to the contrary, the Kentucky Board of Education and the Kentucky Department of Education shall not:

(a)       Implement the academic content standards for English language arts and mathematics developed by the Common Core Standards Initiative and copyrighted by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers;

(b)       Implement the science standards developed by the Next Generation Science Standards Initiative led by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences; or

(c)       Use the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, or any other assessment based on the Common Core Standards or Next Generation Science Standards.

(2)       Any actions taken to adopt or implement the Common Core Standards or the Next Generation Science Standards as of the effective date of this Act are void.

(3)    (a)          The state board, after consultation with the Council on Postsecondary Education, shall approve and recommend to school districts and schools academic content standards to replace the academic content standards in English language arts, mathematics, and science currently in use.

(b)       A local board of education shall adopt for use by the school district academic content standards, including standards that differ from or exceed those approved by the state board.

(c)       Pursuant to Section 4 of this Act, a school-based decision making council shall adopt curriculum policies necessary to implement the academic content standards adopted by the local board of education.

(4)       No official of the state, whether appointed or elected, shall enter into a contractual agreement on behalf of the state or a state agency with any consortium, association, or other entity if the agreement would require the state or state agency to cede control over academic content standards and assessment of the standards.

(5)       The state board shall post for a minimum of ninety (90) days public notice of any proposed revision of academic content standards on the department's Web site and shall invite comments on the proposed changes from the general public, including parents, teachers, experts on college and career readiness standards, representatives of nonpartisan institutes, and political, educational, and faith-based organizations.

(6)       The state board shall not finalize revision of any academic content standards until the board holds a public hearing in each congressional district in the state. The board shall post notice of each hearing on the department's Web site and in the newspaper with the largest circulation in the respective congressional district.

(7)       Any academic content standards approved by the state board shall be limited to the subject areas prescribed in KRS 158.6453(2)(a) and shall be developed using the process and criteria specified in KRS 158.6453(2)(b) to (f).

(8)       Notwithstanding any statute to the contrary, state funds shall not be withheld from a school district or school for failure to adopt or use the academic content standards approved by the state board. No school district or school shall be required to use any academic content standards based upon the Common Core Standards or Next Generation Science Standards previously adopted by the state board as a condition for receiving state funds....

Later in Section 3, 6. (k)...

Section 3.   KRS 158.6453 is amended to read as follows:

 (k)      A local board of education may supplement the academic content standards approved by the state board with higher and more rigorous academic content standards, and a school council shall use them to fulfill curriculum policy requirements pursuant to Section 4 of this Act.

And in Section 4, 2. (i) 1....

(i)        The school council shall adopt a policy to be implemented by the principal in the following additional areas:

1.      Determination of curriculum, including needs assessment, curriculum development and responsibilities under KRS 158.6453(7) based on the  academic content standards adopted by the local board of education in accordance with Sections 1 and 3 of this Act;