Ethics by Allen

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of meeting Brenda Allen for the first time.

As KSN&C readers know, Allen served as attorney to the Fayette County Board of Education until she was leveraged out in what was made to look like a simple reduction in force, supposedly to save the district as much as $350,000. It looked like something else to board member Amanda Ferguson who complained and asked KSN&C to look into it. Ultimately, Allen’s position was abolished, all legal services in the district were outsourced, and the district paid her $200,000 not to sue or talk ugly about them.

$200,000. That’s about 6 or 7 teachers salaries, isn’t it?

What does $200,000 buy these days?

I made my way to the capitol city Tuesday morning to find out.

Brenda Allen is the seventh of eight children in a military family that traveled around the United States and then to Germany where Dad served as a mess sergeant. The family came to Louisville where Allen attended Pleasure Ridge Park High School. An undergraduate degree in broadcasting led to the Courier-Journal where she worked in advertising. At 28, she decided to pursue a long-standing desire. Allen entered UK Law and became an attorney. Her first position was with Brooks & Fitzpatrick, where she worked with Jane Fitzpatrick, Ron Walker, and Ellen McComb (who clerked for Kentucky Chief Justice Robert Stephens during the drafting of the Rose decision).

Allen later worked Medicaid fraud cases for Attorney General Ben Chandler and tried cases in the civil division. When Kevin Noland became aware of an opening at EPSB, he encouraged Allen to apply and she was successful – ultimately rising through the ranks from 2002-2006 to Deputy and CFO.

She thought working in a large school district would be less stressful and accepted the board attorney’s position in Fayette County. Little did she know…

The public should, generally, feel good about the quality of school administration in Fayette County. Top line administrators are expected to work long hours and the board attorney was no exception. A week of work regularly ran to 60 hours; sometimes more. As in-house counsel, she wasn’t billing the district $125 an hour - which is (roughly) the least expensive deal the district gets when it outsources legal services. More typical hourly rates run above $250 an hour.
Allen’s time in Fayette County was full of phone calls, custody disputes, ARCs, personnel grievances and appeals, non-criminal investigations, issuing official letters such as suspension letters, working with law enforcement, due process hearings, student records issues, student medical issues, working with court appointed student advocates….

I always had the board attorney on speed dial, because, in a tricky situation, I wanted to know the law before I acted, rather than after something got messed up. I’m not sure who, if anyone, principals call for legal advice in Fayette County today.

Fayette County Superintendent Stu Silberman thought enough of her work that, in 2009, he took Allen under his wing, and working with her professor, helped Allen complete her school administration practicum as an "assistant superintendent" under the alternative certification program. By that means, she became eligible to serve as a superintendent in Kentucky.

But beyond all of her duties, the board attorney’s position is, apparently, a political one. Strong leadership wants certain outcomes and attaining those things is most easily done without opposition. I chatted with Allen about her experience as a school board attorney and wondered about how one navigates such choppy waters. Sometimes the law, and what someone wants to do, come into conflict. How does an attorney’s ethical commitment come into play?

KSN&C: As an attorney, if say, a board member asked you for advice, what was your thought process?

Allen: Well, I’m just very true to the law. So if a statute says we can do it, or if I can come up with a valid interpretation that I’m comfortable defending in front of parents, the press, or in court, then I’m going to say “Yes.” …Sometimes, if you think about it creatively, there’s a legal way to get done what you want to get done. You may have to tweak what you’re coming up with a little bit, you know. I felt like that was my role, to come up with what [the board] needed, to get the job done that they wanted to get done – if it was possible. If it was not possible then [I’d] say, there’s just no way we could do that.
KSN&C: There’s a body of thought out there that the best leaders are these hard-chargers, and they don’t let little things like procedures get in the way of doing what’s best for kids. You know, making sure that the program moves forward. I know as a KPIP trainer (for the now defunct Kentucky Principal’s Internship Program) for the state, Connie Evans and I were doing a training once in Fayette County. Unfortunatley, I had to leave the session for 40 minutes for something and when I came back, I learned that [then middle school director] Michael Ernst had been there. My partner called me over while the students were in an activity and expressed concern saying, ‘You won’t believe it, but he came in and told them they didn’t need to follow [whatever regulation Connie had been teaching about] because the district wants them to proceed in a different kind of fashion.’ And aside from the fact that it undermined what we were teaching, which was basically here’s what the law says you’ve got to do and you should follow that… it seemed to expose a way of thinking from the top, or pretty darn near the top. Did you run into much of that kind of thing?

Allen: I probably shouldn’t answer that.

KSN&C: OK. Ummm. OK, fair enough. But you have to, I mean, those are the kinds of things you have to make a decision about as an attorney, and you look to the law to be your guide, basically?

Allen: Right. It’s incredibly important to me being an attorney, to be a good attorney and an ethical attorney.

KSN&C: Good. I’m glad you said that. What are the ethics? Let’s say you are advising me, as a principal, or a board member – somebody who’s your boss – and let’s say your boss wants to do something that; well, you have reason to believe the law would argue against that. Are you obliged to - do what? Say something? Say nothing?
Allen: Well, there’s a lot of rules that govern attorneys and we have a duty of loyalty to our client.

KSN&C: So what’s that mean?

Allen: In the role that I was in, the client was the board. The board was my client.

KSN&C: OK.

Allen: Now, the client is an organization. And it can be fairly large. But when the interests diverge, and someone wants to do X, and it’s not in the interest of the client, then I felt like my role was to try to reason with this person and say, ‘Hey, we can’t do this,’ blah blah blah, and this is why.

KSN&C: Is there an ethical obligation that attorneys do that, or is it discretionary?

Allen: No, there is an ethical obligation.

KSN&C: In other words, if I’m obliged to be loyal…

Allen: Right.

KSN&C: …but at the same time I’m obliged to follow the law…how does that get parsed out?

Allen: Well, you have a duty of loyalty to your client but that duty of loyalty encompasses being candid. You have a duty of candor, to give sound legal advice; all those things are encompassed in that duty of loyalty. It’s not that I’m going to be loyal to you no matter what you do. Within the scope of my responsibilities to you, I’m going to be loyal, but as your attorney, I’m going to tell you this.

KSN&C: Could you be loyal and not tell me that?

Allen: Umm.
KSN&C: I want to do something and it’s questionable. You think it’s questionable on legal grounds. I could get in trouble later, but I really want to do it. I really want to do it and I’m a board member and I’m your boss. Can you be loyal and just say, my way of being loyal is that I’m not going to say anything.

Allen: No. I think your duty is to actually say something. They can take your advice or not, but I think the attorney’s duty is to just tell them what the law is, and take the advice or not. Not everybody follows their attorney’s advice…

KSN&C: Exactly.

Allen: …and so, the duty is to just put it out there. That’s the way I thought. It’s a tough predicament to be in.

KSN&C: Sure.

Allen: When you’re trying to please; when your client is more than one person.

KSN&C: And of course, principals and school administrators run into that all the time. We’re not really sure who our boss is. There seems to be a thousand of them.

Allen: Right. You’re hired by the site-based council, the superintendent completes the process…

KSN&C: Neither of whom are really our client. Our client is the children and their best interests, even in the face of adults who may disagree about what their best interest is…

Allen: And I think attorneys, in general, who represent organizations are in a tough position because…you know, if someone in the school district doesn’t do what they’re supposed to do, they can keep working. They may get a slap on the hand, and whatever. But if an attorney doesn’t, their livelihood is at stake. And it may be that way, to some degree, for teachers, because they can get their certificates revoked. But the only person who is legally obligated to report an educator for misconduct is the superintendent. So there probably aren’t that many reports of teacher misconduct that don’t come from the top. There’s always things against attorneys; anyone can make [a complaint] against an attorney.
KSN&C: So, I want to do something, as a board member. You don’t think it’s in my best interest. You don’t advise me against it. I go ahead and do it anyway. It doesn’t turn out good for me. Can I then, take you to the Bar Association, and get you in trouble for not telling me the bad news.

Allen: Yeah…that would go to the Bar Association and they would have a disciplinary hearing

KSN&C: And they could take your…

Allen: License. Probably not for something…

KSN&C: Yeah.

Allen: …but they do. They list those things…

KSN&C: And if you get two or three of those, they could take your license, I suppose.

Allen: Sure. So, I’ve always looked at it that way. This is my livelihood. Teachers can go from place to place, but if I can’t practice, I can’t practice at all…
When she was working for the Educational Professional Standards Board, Allen became an expert on teacher ethics and taught the topic nationally over the past decade. In her view it would be a big problem for her to have taught others how to behave and then not behave ethically herself.
I asked Allen to imagine that Fayette County had not outsourced legal services and that she was advising a successor in Fayette County. I asked her what she would tell them.

Allen: Wow. It’s such a big job. I think the thing I would advise a successor would be to work on establishing a relationship with the board [as their counsel]. And, you know, I did that initially. It was a little difficult, but I did... And keep a straight dialogue open between the board and the attorney. Find out what they are wanting; what they see as your role as their attorney; defining those parameters beyond what’s in the job description.

KSN&C: How do you build a relationship with a board that maybe doesn’t look to you for leadership?

Allen: I think, yeah. I think that may be a problem. And I think that they really have to look at their board attorney as a legal leader. That’s why they have them there with a doctorate and some expertise…

KSN&C: Uh huh.

Allen: You know, with my experience, Amanda Ferguson is a really inquisitive – she really has a good keen mind that reasons through issues and poses questions. And she would like to have those things looked at. That was her way of doing things, though that was different for a board member, I think, and…

KSN&C: You didn’t find that to be the norm?

Allen: No. No. But I think it’s a good healthy way to utilize your board attorney. I don’t think they only need to deal with the superintendent and then the superintendent pass that information along. I don’t think you should deal with them in a closed session only. I think there should really be a dialogue…
But $200,000 has bought Allen a new career – one where she’s the boss and can call her own shots. Also her office space atop a historic downtown Frankfort building is just too picturesque to work in. I think I would spend all my time looking out of the windows.

But that’s not all.

Allen is also opening a restaurant called Bistro 241, in March. This is an old itch of Allen’s from her days in the kitchen with her father who was a mess sergeant in Germany and was always teaching her something new to cook. The Bistro 241 concept is fine dining in the upscale southern tradition with live jazz. She is teaming up with a classically-trained local chef to create a menu that includes chicken and waffles – which, she tells this Midwestern boy, is eaten with syrup. Home-made pastas are part of the deal, and of course, grits. Allen considers herself to be a grits connoisseur. On Main Street, Bistro 241 will seat about 50 for dinner in 1,900 square feet and a courtyard. The restaurant will feature monthly displays of art from local artists.
It came as no shock whatsoever to learn that the Allen Resource Group also does Human Resource consulting and investigations. Allen believes the quality of consultation available to school districts sets the bar so low it “will give you the Willies.”

Name The New Test

UPDATED:

OK, boys and girls, it's time to put on your thinking caps.

We had...

KEST: Kentucky Education...something or other. I forgot.

(Ahh. I just remembered: Kentucky Essential Skills Test)

KIRIS: Kentucky Instructional Results Information System

CATS: Commonwealth Accountability Testing System

NCLB - No Child Left Behind (federal)

Avoiding KEST, KIRIS and CATS, tell us your best ideas for the new test.

Surely it won't remain the Senate Bill 1 Test.

~

I hear that KDE staff are beginning to play the same game. They've been known to check in here now and again. Perhaps some will share their thoughts here.

To stimulate thinking, here's non-exclusive list of words Lisa Gross came up with to get the wheels turning:

21st century; Ability; Accomplish; Accomplishment; Accountability; Achievement; Achieving; All; Assessment; Attain; Attainment; Capacity; Child; Children; Classify; Classification; Commonwealth; Core; Data; Determine; Determining; Direct; Directing; Drive; Driving; Each; Effective; Evaluate; Evaluating; Every; Future; Gain; Gaining; Gauge; Guide; Guiding; Inform; Information; Instruct; Instruction; Kentucky; Learn; Learner; Learning; Master; Mastering; Mastery; Measure; Measurement; Measuring; Move; Moving; Next-Generation; Perform; Performance; Prepare; Preparation; Process; Proficient; Proficiency; Rate; Rating; Reach; Reaching; Ready; Record; Report; Reporting; Results; Skill; Skills; Standard; State; Strategy; Strength; Strengthen; Student; Subject; Succeed; Success; System; Teacher; Test; Validate; Validating; Validation; Value.

Add to that: Longitudinal; Progress...

Name it, but make it snappier than Longitudinal Measures Approximating Student Attainment of Kentucky Core Academic Standards

Holliday's chances. Wanna Bet?

While attending the P-20 Innovation Conference at the Lexington Center this week, I had the opportunity to catch up with a few folks who are tuned in to national education politics and get their assessments of Education Commissioner Terry Holliday's chances of getting the Obama administration to waive the onerous parts of the NCLB accountability model.

At present, NCLB's fixed targets unfairly label many schools as failing, even when they show significant progress toward desirable goals. As Kentucky educators will recall, it was this measure, when layered on top of the pre-existing CATS assessment, that took the CATS' 9th life.

Kentucky, Vermont and other states sought waivers from the US Office of Education under Margaret Spellings, but were turned away empty-handed. Initially, Obama Education Secretary Arne Duncan appeared to some pundits as Maggie's mirror image, but he has since taken a clear stand against NCLB's blindness to the benefits of valuing growth as a measure of improved student achievement.

Therein lies Holliday's hope.

This week the Kentucky Board of Education took its first step toward building a better mouse trap. In approving a white paper outlining a possible future "Senate Bill 1 test" they have solidified just what a better set of school and district goals might look like. KDE Assessment guy Ken Draut told the assembly in Lexington today that the "plans are getting very firm." The state Board will take a first reading on the new system in February, a second in April and receive public input for a 60-day period after that. By July, we should know the plan.

Draut describes the new plan, as consistent with the prescription in SB1. It is a "balanced" assessment that gauges student achievement, assesses teachers and principals, considers support systems, program reviews, and provides accountability for schools and districts. More on this later.

Over at Prichard, Susan Weston suggests that the Commish can effectively argue that our new goals (based on the Obama-supported national core standards) will be tougher than the NCLB's more pedestrian expectations, as well as fairer. This is true. But persuasive arguments have been known to pale in the face of political motivations, and right now, it would take a savant to figure out the national politics. Events of this week have certainly convinced me that I don't have a clue.

Council of Chief State School Officers honcho Gene Wilhoit told KSN&C today that reauthorization of NCLB may be a couple of years away and rest with the well-tanned and mercurial soon-to-be-Speaker of the House John Boehner. But in the lurch, President Obama can handle some changes administratively, if he will.

Will he?

Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday told KSBA's Brad Hughes recently that he is very optimistic that the AYP waiver can be obtained.

“We think (the Obama administration) is very open to replacing AYP,” he said. “We think Kentucky will be the first state to take that waiver request forward, but we think there will quite a few others. It’s all based on the new common core standards and growth models that could replace AYP.”

KSN&C asked AdvancED President & CEO Mark Elgart if he was a betting man, what odds would he give that Holliday's gambit wil pay off. "Better than 50%," Elgart said.

But UK Ed Leadership Chair Lars Bjork worries about the competing tensions the Obama administration faces between their desire to continue driving change and their reservations about AYP. He opined that if Kentucky goes it alone under the banner of a reform state, it might not go too well. But all-in-all, he too gave Holliday a better than 50-50 chance.

This sentiment was echoed by Wilhoit, who when asked about Holliday's chances said, "If he goes it alone, not very good. But if he goes with a group, I think he will be successful." And Wilhoit wants to help. He thinks the CCSSO can pull together about 15 states to go to Education Secretary Arne Duncan en masse.

Duncan is on the record as disapproving of NCLB's rigid (anti-research based) accountability model which seems to have been designed to identify an increasing number of schools as "failing." But nationally, Republicans have, and continue to, dangle NCLB Reauthorization in the balance. Elgart, Wilhoit, Draut...virtually everybody I talk to (and read) seems to think ESEA reauthorization is still a couple of years away. And at least one well-placed national observer thinks Boehner may be looking to position NCLB reauthorization as a Republican political victory just in advance of the next presidential election.

But what if Holliday fails in his quest? During the Q&A following his presentation on assessment and accountability, I asked Draut about the impact.

KSN&C: Specifically, what waiver is Commissioner Holliday seeking [from the Obama administration] and what impact will their decision have on [Kentucky’s] plan?

Draut: Oh, that's a great question. The picture right now, we've got NCLB and this model of AYP that we're living with, and reauthorization is not on the fast track. So we might be living with that in 2011 and 12, and I don't know - 13. We don't know where this is going. We have this new state accountability model coming and what we are trying to avoid is having two models - just like we have now - where one says you're terrible and the other says you're great... And in NCLB, for years and years, there has been this waiver procedure where you could appeal to the US Office of Ed for a waiver of your accountability model outside of the NCLB model. It's just that until recently...

KSN&C: They didn't grant any.

Draut: ...they were kind of closed ears...but now, in support of innovation and these kinds of things, they are talking, and Gene, you can jump in here, they are talking achievement gap, growth, college readiness and graduation rate, and BINGO, that's us. So, what the thought is, is that we take our model, and present it as a waiver...We will still identify persistently low [schools] as required, identify low achieving and high achieving...still do what they'd like us to do.
KSN&C: But if they say "No," is it back to the drawing board?

Draut: Well, I think we'd probably push forward with ours.

KSN&C: But we'd have the same problem we've got now?

Draut: We'd have the same problem we've got now.

State Board Adopts White Paper

At a study session on Tuesday and its regular meeting on Wednesday, the Kentucky Board of Education heard presentations and took action on a number of items.

The board agreed to adopt a white paper called Goals and Guiding Principles for Accountability in Kentucky’s Public Education System. The board agreed to incorporate language related to international and national benchmark attainment and to reinforce differentiated teaching and learning. The board also discussed a separate Program Review for world languages. The document will serve as a foundation piece on which decisions will be made regarding the new public school accountability model required by 2009’s Senate Bill 1.

The board also had discussion on the preliminary regulatory language for Kentucky’s new accountability model and on remaining accountability issues.

The board gave final approval to state regulation 702 KAR 7:125, which relates to pupil attendance. Changes to the regulation include:

• Beginning with the 2010-11 school year, attendance calculations will change from Full Time Equivalency (FTE) to whole day/half day. Daily attendance will now be represented as 0%, 50% or 100%. There will be no changes in the way daily attendance is entered at the district level. This change is a technical correction to show that 35% absent is a Tardy, with the student receiving a full day of attendance.
• The requirement in the regulation for districts to submit copies of their written nonresident pupil contracts to KDE has been removed, as this is not required by statute. The change in the regulation would require that contract information be kept on file at both the attending and resident districts.

The definitions for student ethnicity have been changed to align with those required by the federal government for state and federal reporting purposes.

The board also discussed the identification of low-achieving schools and districts in corrective action status under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, along with the provisions of KRS 160.346 and the related regulations that affect these schools and districts.
The board took the following actions:

• approved district facility plans for the Breckinridge County, Carroll County, Scott County, Washington County and Frankfort Independent school districts
• approved a district facility plan amendment for Taylor County
• approved 2010-2011 local district working budgets

approved a waiver of state regulation 702 KAR 5:060, Section 6 (2) for the Ft. Thomas Independent school district

The board presented three awards at this meeting:

• the Kevin M. Noland Award to Sally Sugg, former director of the KDE Division of District 180
• the Joseph W. Kelly Award to Helen M. Carroll, manager of Community Relations for Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, Inc.
• the Dr. Johnnie Grissom Award to the LaRue County school district

The board heard presentations on the following items:
Program Reviews

• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Obesity Prevention Project Grant
• Students with Disabilities: Focus on Closing Achievement Gaps
• the designation of an agent to manage high school interscholastic athletics
• revisions in Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) bylaws
• the commissioner’s and board’s expenses

The Kentucky Board of Education’s next regular meeting is scheduled for February 1 in Frankfort. More information about the board is available here.

SOURCE: KDE Press release

Kentucky Joins National Education Improvement Institute

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has been selected to join with the U.S. Education Delivery Institute to enhance its process for driving progress and delivering results in the P-12 education arena.

The institute is working with Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee on P-12 and postsecondary education issues to help them set targets, plan strategies, monitor data and solve problems related to the implementation of reforms. There is no cost for Kentucky to join the project.

Sir Michael Barber, founder of the U.S. Education Delivery Institute and former chief advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and institute CEO Kathy Cox met Friday in Frankfort with KDE staff to share insights on “deliverology,” a systemic process to drive progress and deliver results in education. Barber and Cox provided tools and ideas so that KDE can create its own delivery unit.

Barber and Cox also presented information to officials in the Kentucky Cabinet for Education and Workforce Development, the Education Professional Standards Board and the Council on Postsecondary Education.

“In the course of history, when the U.S. has been at its most powerful and generous, the world has prospered,” said Barber. “With the huge challenges facing us globally in this century, we all need the U.S. to be at the top of its performance in terms of educating its young people to be problem solvers.”

The U.S. Education Delivery Institute (EDI) is a non-profit organization that helps implement change in public education. EDI’s mission is to develop the capacity of system leaders in P-12 education and higher education to define and deliver on their academic vision — setting and reaching goals that increase the number of students who graduate from high school college- and career-ready, then enter and succeed in college.

EDI supplies a set of tools and a framework for leaders to deliver on their big goals, so that intent at the system level ultimately translates into impact at the student level. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York have provided core support to launch the organization and to enable delivery work.

SOURCE: KDE Press release

Kentucky Making Moderate Progress on Graduation Rate

Graduation chatter from the Commish:

Moving Students to Graduation – And Beyond

The Kentucky Board of Education has adopted a strategic goal of a 90 percent graduation rate by 2015, using the cohort graduation rate definition.

This week, the America’s Promise Alliance released the Building a Grad Nation report, and that can be accessed [here].

There was some good news for Kentucky, as we were listed as one of the states making moderate progress in improving the graduation rate. However, we have much work to do. For instance, we must increase the number of current 8th graders who are projected to graduate by more than 5,000. The report lists a number of strategies to address this goal. Among those are high-quality education as a top priority for communities; accurate data; early warning and intervention systems; high expectations for ALL students; higher standards; teacher effectiveness; parent engagement; alternative options and graduation pathways; and new community coalitions supporting graduation.

School News from Around Kentucky

IPads help reinforce lessons for Kentucky kindergarteners: Kindergarten students at a Kentucky elementary school are regularly using iPads in the classroom. The devices are loaded with age-appropriate applications that help solidify classroom lessons. "I'm still doing the teaching, but it gives them opportunities to reinforce those skills for students who don't grasp the skills the first time. It gives them that extra practice," their teacher said. (WPSD-TV)

Community turns out to support Iroquois High, offer help to students: More than 70 parents, community members, alumni and students filled the Iroquois High School library on Thursday night to hear what they can do to help the struggling south Louisville school. The forum was held to channel an outpouring of support in the wake of publicity after the school was named one of the state's 10 most “persistently low achieving,” targeting Iroquois for an overhaul that could oust the principal and much of its staff. (Courier-Journal)

Fayette schools class to help students avoid college math remediation - Course will help grads avoid remedial college classes: Starting in the 2011-12 school year, Fayette County Public Schools will offer a college math prep class designed to help high school seniors avoid expensive, non-credit remedial classes when they enroll in Kentucky colleges.
The University of Kentucky Math Department is helping the Fayette schools structure the yearlong course, which will be aimed at seniors who have not achieved a benchmark math score on the ACT. (Herald-Leader)

Middlesboro schools accept challenge of compassion: Students from Middlesboro Middle and High School will participate in “Rachel’s Challenge,” which promotes creating a safe learning environment and improving academic achievement for the nation’s schools. The namesake of the program is the late Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High School Tragedy that happened in April of 1999, and ended with the murder of 13 students and the suicides of the two student gunmen.Read more: (The Middlesboro Daily News)

Summit Elementary receives Blue Ribbon award: Self-improvement is the goal. The award is just a bonus.Summit Elementary will for the second time receive a Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Lighthouse Award, making it the first school to gain the distinction twice.The award, presented by Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Inc., is not a prize or a trophy and the school doesn’t profit from it, said principal Tamela Martin. Rather, “it’s a school improvement process we used to see where we could improve,” Martin said. (The Daily Independent)

Rally rewards top test scorers: A pep rally honored top scorers in the classroom instead of the field. Conner High School held an academic pep rally for students who scored well on testing. The Hebron school has students take a practice ACT exam twice a year to help them prepare for the test setting and to know what's coming when they take the real thing. Teachers and administrators wanted a way to show students working hard was worth the effort, said Assistant Principal Mary Sargent. (Enquirer)

Student jailed for 'profanity,' disobedience: An Elizabethtown teen was jailed Tuesday morning after Vine Grove police charged the Brown Street Education Center student with three misdemeanors.According to jail and court records, 18-year-old Netra Summer Lewis was arrested for “using profanity” toward police officers and a teacher, and refusing “to follow the direction of school officials.”Lewis was charged with disorderly conduct, abuse of a teacher and resisting arrest. The three Class A misdemeanors are punishable by up to 12 months in jail and up to a $5,000 fine, under Kentucky law. (News Enterprise)

Prefiled bill addresses unfunded mandates - Educators favor state giving money with laws it wants enforced: One piece of legislation state lawmakers might consider when the Kentucky General Assembly reconvenes in January calls for a halt to unfunded state mandates.The bill, which was prefiled earlier this fall by Rep. Sal Santoro, R-Florence, states, “It is the intention of the General Assembly that no mandate be placed on the public schools of the commonwealth without provision by the General Assembly for funding assured by the state-supported program that is adequate to carry out that mandate.” (Glasgow Daily Times)

Error, election leave Kenton school board seat open: A paperwork error has opened a seat on the Kenton County School District's board of education. Applications for the seat in District 3, which covers Taylor Mill and Edgewood, will be accepted until Dec. 7 by the Kentucky Department of Education. Someone will be appointed, likely in the next few weeks, by Terry Holliday, the state's education commissioner. Becky Melching, who won the seat four years ago and will continue to hold it through the end of this calendar year, filed for re-election before the deadline in August. However, she accidentally marked on the paperwork that she was filing to run in District 4. She lives in District 3. (Enquirer)

Veterinary clinic to offer high school classes at new Fayette agriscience farm - High schoolers to get hands-on agricultural, veterinary experience: Fayette County Public Schools officials are finalizing plans for a non-profit veterinary clinic — where high school students could get hands-on experience working in veterinary science — that will be located at the school district's new Locust Trace Agriscience Farm. In addition to training students, a non-profit clinic also would offer veterinary services for farms and residents around Leestown Road, where Locust Trace will be located. (Herald-Leader)

Education fuels economy: An emphasis on education led to the United States’ phenomenal economic growth in the past, according to Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education President Robert L. King. He thinks it’s time for education to again be a top priority. “This is truly, I think, the biggest issue facing our country,” King said. He spoke during a luncheon Tuesday at Trover Tower that was part of a daylong visit to Madisonville Community College. About 30 people, mostly educators and public officials, attended the gathering. (Messenger at KSBA)

Quick Hits

Report - U.S. graduation rate increases: The national graduation rate climbed from 72% in 2001 to 75% in 2008 as states shuttered schools that had become "dropout factories," according to a report by America's Promise Alliance and two other groups. The report also found that black, Hispanic and Native American students showed the most improvement in graduation rates. Overall progress, however, has been uneven, with southwestern states such as Arizona, Nevada and Utah graduating students less often. (The New York Times) (Education Week)

Wisconsin high school, college join forces over science: Students at a Wisconsin high school and the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc are working together on zebra fish research as part of a program to get the high-schoolers interested in science, technology, engineering and math. The high-school students also are participating in hands-on learning, a benefit from their teacher's two-year fellowship with the Milwaukee School of Engineering. (Herald Times Reporter) (Herald Times Reporter)

N.J. class sizes grow, thanks to teacher layoffs: Tighter budgets have led New Jersey school districts to slash teaching positions, resulting in larger classes. In the Edison district, which cut 150 teaching jobs, the size of the average math class has grown from 22 to 25 or 26. The larger class sizes are worrying educators and parents, who say student learning is harmed. "Most of the time is devoted to organization, not instruction," one teacher said. "It's very difficult." (The Star-Ledger)

Can poker help teach math? A Virginia high school is betting on it: Students at Virginia's George Mason High School are learning math through playing poker. The school's extracurricular poker club started in September and is used to teach students about probability and statistics. The club doesn't use real money, but it's still being criticized by anti-gambling activists, who say the school is teaching bad habits to teens. (The Washington Post)

Colo. district aims to help students achieve career success: A Colorado school district announced a five-year plan to align its curriculum with economic development to help prepare more students for career success. The plan is part of a public-private partnership involving schools and community groups and is designed to increase the number of high-school graduates throughout the state who enroll in college. "We want a system that is seamless," Gov. Bill Ritter said. "We have to think about this from preschool all the way to postgraduate." (The Denver Post)

Charter-district partnership seeks to train teachers, principals: A network of charter schools is teaming up with a public-school district in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas to create a training center for teachers and principals. The initiative mirrors a trend of similar charter-district partnerships and is designed to help educators prepare for the challenges of teaching in a low-income, rural area. (TexasTribune)

How Baltimore's schools are being transformed: Baltimore schools have improved significantly under the leadership of Superintendent Andres Alonso, who took the reins in 2007. Alonso ushered in reforms that reorganized the school system, shuttered long-struggling schools and reduced suspensions. He also downsized administration and replaced 75% of the principals. "It's a test case for what's possible," Alonso said. "There were incredible opportunities because the troubles were so big." (The New York Times)

Will larger class sizes negatively effect learning?: Average class sizes in U.S. schools are expected to rise, in part, because of budget constraints. One New York City school is embracing the change with four educators -- two special-educators and two generalists, all of whom are bilingual -- teaching 60 students together in one classroom. Other schools are taking the "all-hands-on-deck" approach by having many adults in the building involved in classroom instruction. Critics of such plans say larger classes will have a negative effect on student achievement. (Education Week)

Can business executives improve schools?: A number of large, urban districts under mayoral control are choosing business executives to lead their schools. "The nontraditional has become traditional," says American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. "It's almost as if educators need not apply." While critics of the approach say schools need leaders with direct educational experience, some observers say it's not yet clear whether market-driven reforms promoted by business leaders will help improve these districts. (The Christian Science Monitor)

Education leaders from 5 states form group to push for reforms: Five state-education chiefs have formed a group to promote their visions of school reform. The "Chiefs for Change" is comprised of the education leaders from Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Rhode Island and Virginia. The leaders, who also are members of the Council of Chief State School Officers, said they will promote a subset of policies that include "value-added" evaluations for educators and a "cutting-edge, pushing-the-envelope way of putting children at the top of all of our decisions." (State EdWatch blog)

Reform ideologies: Ravitch responds to criticisms by Gates Education expert and author Diane Ravitch responds to criticisms lobbied at her by Microsoft founder and education reformer Bill Gates in an interview with Newsweek. Ravitch agrees that more needs to be done to improve the country's schools, but criticizes policies and reforms that demoralize teachers or "narrow the curriculum" by emphasizing higher standardized test scores. Among other things, Ravitch also argues that many so-called "dropout factories" are actually educating many high-needs students and should not be stigmatized for their significant efforts. (The Answer Sheet) (Newsweek)

More than half of Fla. districts fail to meet class-size limits: Education officials in Florida reported that 35 of the state's 67 school districts are out of compliance with the state's class-size limits, and some districts could face millions of dollars in fines. School districts have until Dec. 17 to appeal the class-size calculations used by state officials. The limits were approved by a 2002 referendum and have been gradually implemented. (Orlando Sentinel)

Schools turn to standards-based grading for accurate assessments: Educators at a Minnesota middle school found that in some cases, teachers were grading students based on behavior -- rather than content mastery -- after four years of data showed that the students with the worst grades sometimes performed better on final exams than their peers. The school adopted a standards-based grading approach that assesses students according to whether they know the material, not on how well-behaved they are. "We need to stop overlooking kids who can do the work and falsely inflate grades of kids who can't but who look good," one superintendent said. (The New York Times)

What will draw the best teachers to struggling schools?: Milwaukee Public Schools officials have renewed their focus on drawing the best teachers to the neediest schools, saying their students will benefit most from highly effective teachers. Wisconsin has offered extra pay to some top educators who teach in the neediest schools and has revamped teacher licensing, but those efforts and other initiatives have had little effect. Officials are considering other options, such as improving the school environment, other teacher incentives, teacher training and changes in educator recruitment. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Cyberschool option proves costly for Pennsylvania districts: Pennsylvania law requires school districts to pay for online-school tuition for students -- a mandate that has become costly for many districts. The Williamsport Area School District alone spent $1.03 million in the past year. However, officials say the system gives school districts little control over the cost or the schools that students choose. The state sets the price of tuition and also approves the charters under which the state's online schools operate. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette)

Is school reform losing steam?: The school-reform movement, once buoyed by stimulus funds and the Race to the Top competition, may be stagnating as states face budget shortfalls and a new wave of executive leadership from the Nov. 2 elections. Implementing reform curricula can be expensive, especially considering that many states' stimulus support has ended. Meanwhile, a new political environment could undo changes, as incoming Republican governors vow to limit federal involvement in education. (Stateline.org)

Educators question whether they should comply with NCLB: Despite a requirement in the No Child Left Behind federal law that all students test at or above grade level in reading and math by 2014, more educators believe that 100% proficiency is unreachable. NCLB's rigid benchmarks and lack of flexibility make some educators wonder whether the law is losing its relevancy. (Billings Gazette)

Education reformer tells Colo. business leaders to "step forward": Education reformer Geoffrey Canada, speaking Tuesday in Denver, encouraged business leaders to take an active role in the future of education. Canada, the founder and leader of the Harlem Children's Zone, was featured prominently in the recent documentary "Waiting for Superman." "In the end, the question of whether or not these systems change will rest with the business community," he said. "This is the time to step forward and challenge your community." (The Denver Post)

L.A. schools lay off, shuffle thousands of workers: Nearly 1,000 employees -- excluding teachers -- are being laid off from Los Angeles schools because of budget cuts, and thousands of others are being transferred, possibly to jobs with fewer hours or lower pay. Library aides, many of whom are affected by the layoffs and moves, criticized administrators for the move. "I know every kid's name. I know their parents, their siblings," one aide said. "You're part of the DNA of the school, you're part of the makeup." (Los Angeles Times)

Court rules parents can sue Calif. schools for not meeting PE rules: A California Court of Appeal ruled that parents may sue a school or district that is not providing students the minimum amount of physical education mandated by state law. One small survey showed that more than half the state's schools were not providing the required 200 minutes every 10 days for elementary-school students, or 400 minutes over that period for middle- and high-schoolers. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Kentucky Board of Education to Meet

The Kentucky Board of Education will meet Tuesday and Wednesday, December 7 and 8, in the State Board Room on the first floor of the Capital Plaza Tower in Frankfort.

On Tuesday, the board will participate in a study session related to Kentucky’s new accountability model for the state’s public schools. The session will begin at 2 p.m. ET and is set to end at 6 p.m. ET.

On Wednesday, the board will meet in full session at 9 a.m. ET. The board’s Management Committee and Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Committee will meet at 1 p.m. ET. The board will reconvene in full session after the committee meetings.

Agenda items include discussion of the process to identify persistently low-achieving schools and information on Program Reviews. The board also will present the Joseph Kelly Award, the Dr. Johnnie Grissom Award and the Kevin M. Noland Award.

Both the study session and the board meeting will be webcast. Information on how to access the webcast will be available Tuesday afternoon on the Kentucky Department of Education’s homepage.

A full agenda follows.

KENTUCKY BOARD OF EDUCATION
DECEMBER 7-8, 2010

STATE BOARD ROOM
FIRST FLOOR, CAPITAL PLAZA TOWER
FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY
Tuesday, December 7, 2010

STUDY SESSION - FULL BOARD
STATE BOARD ROOM
2 p.m. - 6 p.m. (ET)

I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Next Generation Learners (Strategic Priority) Study Session
A. Adoption of white paper titled “Goals and Guiding Principles for Accountability in Kentucky’s Public Education System (Action/Discussion Item); Commissioner Terry Holliday and Associate Commissioner Ken Draut; 1-hour presentation/discussion
B. Discussion on preliminary regulatory language for Kentucky’s new accountability model and on remaining accountability issues (Review Item); Associate Commissioner Ken Draut; 3-hour presentation/discussion

RECESS

GROUP DINNER
CAPITAL PLAZA HOTEL – SEMINAR ROOM
7 p.m. (ET)
(No business to be conducted.)

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

BUSINESS SESSION - FULL BOARD
STATE BOARD ROOM
9 a.m. (ET)

IV. Approval of minutes from the October 6, 2010, regular meeting
V. Introduction of KDE Team Members of the Month by the Commissioner of Education
VI. Presentation of the Kevin M. Noland Award by KBE Chair David Karem
VII. Report of the Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet (Questions on written report)
VIII. Report of the President of the Council on Postsecondary Education (Questions on written report)
IX. Report of the Executive Director of the Education Professional Standards Board (Questions on written report)
X. Report of the Commissioner of Education (Questions on written report)
XI. Good News Items
XII. Public Comment Segment (To speak, complete sign-up sheet prior to start of meeting; limit is 3 minutes per speaker with maximum of 30 minutes total for this segment.)
XIII. Full Board Items
A. Next Generation Schools and Districts (Strategic Priority)
1. Discussion of the identification of low-achieving schools and districts in NCLB corrective action and the provisions of KRS 160.346 (2010 Regular Session, HB 176), and the related regulations that affect these schools and districts (Review Item) – Associate Commissioner/General Counsel Kevin Brown, Associate Commissioner Larry Stinson and Division Director Debbie Hicks; 45-minute presentation/discussion
B. Next Generation Support Systems (Strategic Priority)
1. Program Review Update (Review Item) – Associate Commissioner Felicia Smith; 60-minute presentation/discussion
C. General
1. Hearing Officer’s Report – Associate Commissioner/General Counsel Kevin Brown; 10-minute presentation/discussion

PRESENTATION OF THE DR. JOHNNIE GRISSOM AND
JOSEPH KELLY AWARDS
STATE BOARD ROOM
11:30 a.m. (ET)

LUNCH
FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM
12 noon – 1 p.m. (ET)
(Lunch provided for KBE members, invited guests and Commissioner’s Planning Committee members only)

COMMITTEE MEETINGS
STATE BOARD ROOM
1 p.m. (ET)

XIV. Management Committee Meeting
A. Action/Consent Items
1. District Facility Plans: Breckinridge County, Carroll County, Scott County, Washington County and Frankfort Independent
2. District Facility Plan Amendment: Taylor County School District
3. 2010-2011 Local District Tax Rates Levied
4. 2010-11 Local District Working Budgets
B. Action/Discussion Items
1. 702 KAR 7:125, Pupil attendance (Final) (KDE Support and Guiding Processes)
2. Waiver of 702 KAR 5:060, Section 6 (2) for Ft. Thomas Independent Schools
C. Review Items
1. 702 KAR 7:065, Designation of Agent to Manage High School Interscholastic Athletics and Revisions in Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) bylaws
2. Audit Update and Review of the Commissioner’s and Board’s Expenses for the KBE Management Committee
XV. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Committee Meeting
A. Action/Discussion Item
1. National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Obesity Prevention Project Grant Update
B. Review Items
1. Students with Disabilities: Focus on Closing Achievement Gaps

BUSINESS SESSION - FULL BOARD
STATE BOARD ROOM

XVI. Approval of Action/Consent Agenda Items (approved as a block of items)
A. District Facility Plans
B. District Facility Plan Amendments
C. Tax Rates Levied
XVII. Report of the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Committee on Action/Discussion Items
XVIII. Report of the Management Committee on Action/Discussion Items
XIX. Board Member Sharing
XX. Information Items (Questions only)
A. KDE Employment Report
XXI. Internal Board Business
XXII. Litigation Report
XXIII. Adjournment

TEACHER EVALUATION APPEALS PANEL
FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM
UPON ADJOURNMENT OF THE FULL BOARD MEETING

SOURCE: KDE Press release

200 Countries over 200 Years

A terrific presentation, well worth the 4 minutes. The interaction of income and lifespan over time.

This from Hans Rosling's "The Joy of Stats" at the BBC:

Thanks to Martha

Wisconsin Student Holds Classroom Hostage

Holliday Named to CCSSO Board

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced today the 2010-2011 CCSSO Board of Directors and Deputies Leadership Commission members. All board members and officers are chief state school officers and continue their tenures in their respective states while serving on CCSSO’s board.

“Our new leadership has a deep commitment to advancing the education reform agenda outlined by states,” said Executive Director Gene Wilhoit. “During a time of incredible transition across the country chief state school officers are dedicated to providing the leadership necessary to reshape American public education.”

CCSSO Board of Directors
President: Christopher Koch, Superintendent of Education, Illinois
President-Elect: Thomas Luna, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Idaho
President Pro-Tempore: Michael Flanagan, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Michigan
Larry Shumway, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Utah
Terry Holliday, Commissioner of Education, Kentucky
Deborah Delisle, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ohio
David Steiner, Commissioner of Education, New York
Mitchell Chester, Commissioner of Education, Massachusetts
June Atkinson, Superintendent of Public Instruction, North Carolina

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.

Quick Hits

Students in project-based gifted program study bridge design: Students who are gifted at a Georgia elementary school with a project-based curriculum participated in the school's Bridge Day, where they experimented with models of their own creation. The students researched bridge history and design to prepare for the project, and also participated in a quiz bowl and other events to test their knowledge. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Support erodes for NYC schools appointee: The appointment of publishing executive Cathleen Black as the schools chancellor of New York City may be in jeopardy, as New York state officials consider whether to grant a waiver that would allow her to take the helm of the state's largest school district. A panel expressed doubts Tuesday about Black's credentials, as did state schools chief David M. Steiner, who said he may be willing to grant the waiver if Black works alongside an educator to help her run the school system. (The New York Times)

Some districts return Race to the Top funds: Some school districts that won funding under the federal Race to the Top program are declining to accept the money because the cost of implementing the required reforms is too high or because they disagree with the grant's requirements, education blogger Valerie Strauss writes in this post. Strauss writes about a Georgia superintendent who is giving the money back rather than adopt value-added teacher evaluations, which he says are an unreliable way to assess performance. (The Answer Sheet blog)

Minn. school leaders seek expanded campaign against bullying: The Minnesota School Board Association wants schools to expand the groups of students protected under anti-bullying rules to include protections against harassment based on "race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, familial status, and status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation or disability." The group is also asking districts to use "disciplinary action" against school staffers that do not intervene in and report bullying incidents. (Star Tribune)

How netbooks are changing teaching and learning: Every student at a Chicago-area middle school is given a netbook computer to use during the school day -- a one-to-one model that has become popular nationwide. The miniature laptops have changed teaching and learning at the school, where students now access online textbooks, complete homework and collaborate with students and teachers using the netbooks. "The students are more engaged in the activities that we're doing," a teacher at the school said. "They feel like they have some control over things now. It's not just us lecturing to them." (Chicago Tribune)

Calif. district moves toward college-prep path for all students: A California school district is adopting a college-preparatory curriculum for all of its high schools to ensure that students are graduating ready to attend state universities. The A-to-G curriculum will be the standard beginning with next year's freshman class, although it will not be required for graduation and some students in career-academy programs will be able to opt out. (San Jose Mercury News)

Proposal for all-boys charter school struggles to win support: A proposal to open a charter school in Madison, Wis., for male minority students -- who would likely be predominantly black -- is facing opposition from those who say educating the students separately does not prepare them for the real world and would negatively affect diversity at other schools. However, Urban League President Kaleem Caire, who hopes to open the Madison Preparatory Academy, says the approach is needed to improve lagging achievement among minority boys in the district's public schools. (Wisconsin State Journal)

Q&A: Duncan discusses strategies for improving education: Education Secretary Arne Duncan says in this interview that he wants to make No Child Left Behind less punitive, and reward the best teachers and principals. He also discusses more rigorous common standards and other plans to improve the country's education system, including new assessments and improving teacher quality. "We're putting a huge amount of resources into figuring out how to systematically get the hardest-working, the most committed teachers and principals into underserved communities," Duncan said. (The Wall Street Journal)

Are cyber charter schools providing a quality education?: Educators have mixed views about the effectiveness of online charter schools, which make up 217 of the 5,000 charters across the country. Critics say the schools drain funding from traditional schools and are unable to offer a quality education with a one-size-fits-all approach that lacks opportunities for student socialization. However, supporters say they serve a population of students whose needs are not being met in traditional schools and that more cyber charters now offer field trips and other face-to-face activities. (The Atlanta Post)

Should states fund charters with ties to religious groups?: The emergence of more charter schools with ties to religious groups is raising questions about whether the schools should be allowed to access public funding. In Texas, more than 20% of charters are associated with religious groups, including six of seven schools approved this year. "The church-state line is beginning to blur," a Fordham University education professor said. "We may be coming to a midpoint between the best of what is private and the best of what is public." (The Dallas Morning News)

Opinion - Improving the U.S. education system requires more of all: New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman considers education a matter of national security and writes that the U.S. is failing to provide students with the problem-solving and critical-thinking skills needed to compete globally. He argues in support of Education Secretary Arne Duncan's push to demand more from teachers and elevate the profession, but he also suggests that more should be asked from parents and students in order to ensure the education system is improved. (The New York Times)

Charter-school founder is recognized for successful leadership: The founder and superintendent of a science-focused K-8 charter school in Arizona was named the Arizona Charter Schools Association's Charter Leader of the Year for creating a successful experience for students. "Science engages the child," Edu-Prize School leader Lynn Robershotte said. "It allows for higher-order thinking skills. Science, to me, is the natural springboard for education." (The Arizona Republic)

Decline is seen in number of students diagnosed with learning disabilities: The number of students classified as having learning disabilities is continuing to drop and was 2.5 million in the fall of 2008, according to the IDEA Data Accountability Center. Education Week blogger Christina A. Samuels cites early identification and the use of response to intervention as possible reasons for the trend. However, she also questions whether educators are responding to pressure to reduce the number of students they refer to special education and whether the students are getting needed help. (On Special Education blog)

What is the mission of charter schools?: Education officials in Rhode Island are working to clarify the purpose of charter schools as the state plans a significant expansion as part of its $75 million Race to the Top grant. State laws and some charter groups say the alternative public schools are meant to be laboratories for innovation, while the state's schools chief Deborah Gist is promoting new guidelines to ensure that charters be held higher standards than traditional schools. (The Providence Journal)

Ore. may seek federal waiver as special-education funding is cut: Statewide budget cuts have reduced funding for special education in Oregon's schools by $19 million from last school year, officials said, and the state is considering joining at least five other states in seeking waivers from the federal government to avoid penalties. States are required to maintain or increase special-education funding from year to year. "A sanction at the state level would put an additional hardship on our school districts that are already struggling," a state education official said. (The Oregonian)

A Man and His School

It was my privilege recently to participate in the rededication of Cassidy School. Just renovated, Cassidy School was also celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Last summer, a research assistant and I spent the better part of a week in Superintendent Stu Silberman's office pouring over old Fayette County Board of Education documents extracting information on M A Cassidy, Lexington's progressive school leader at the turn of the last century. The analysis is not yet complete, but enough details have emerged to present an interesting story of the development of the Fayette County schools in general, and one school in particular.

Current Cassidy School principal Rhonda Fister opened the program and made introductions - including one very special introduction.
Superintendent Silberman also greeted the crowd.

Then it was my turn to tell the story of a man and his school.

The Rededication of M A Cassidy School
on the Occasion of its 75th Anniversary

18 November 2010

Photos of the event by Amanda Ferguson

Good evening ladies and Gentlemen. As always, it’s great to be back at Cassidy. Tonight, I hope to share with you a few of the reasons why I feel that way.

First I’d like to thank Kelli Helmers and the best PTA I know, for the invitation to speak tonight, about this school I love, and the inspirational man for whom it was named.

And I’ve got to acknowledge Charleen Hiten – THE most senior staff member in the Fayette County public school system. For 47 years, and counting, Charleen has greeted visitors, put on Band-Aids, organized the school, and kept the books – all in good order. We thank her for her uncommon dedication.
Leadership is key to any successful enterprise and I‘d also like to thank Rhonda Fister for taking such great care of the place; and Stu Silberman for his stewardship of the district. Both the school and the district are in good hands and achieving new heights.
Our greatest superintendents have been men and women of vision. Able to foresee the increasing needs of American industry, they worked tirelessly to meet the rising demand for an educated workforce, and to make Kentucky a better place.

The most visionary educational leader in Kentucky at the turn of the last century was arguably Massillon Alexander Cassidy.

So great was the public affection for Cassidy, that upon his sudden death in 1928, the school children of Lexington and Fayette County collected sufficient funds to erect an impressive monument. An unnamed Italian artist was commissioned to fashion a monument, including a marble bust of Cassidy, which stands in the Lexington Cemetery near that of Henry Clay’s.

Cassidy’s eulogy was delivered by Dr. A W Fortune, pastor of the Central Christian Church who said it was the optimism of M. A. Cassidy that created confidence in the public school system.

“His genial spirit created an atmosphere of good will which has characterized our schools,” Fortune said. “M A Cassidy loved people and enjoyed mingling with them. He had a big heart and was sympathetic in his attitude toward all. He had the confidence of children and…He had the confidence and love of his teachers.

We honor M.A. Cassidy because of the conception of education which he impressed on our children… He believed the supreme function of education is the development of character. He said, “Learning without character is a vain and noxious thing.”

“The worth and strength of the nation depends far less on the form of its institutions than upon the character of its people,” Cassidy wrote. He believed it is the function of the public school to serve the nation through development of character. He believed the time to develop character is in the early years. He was convinced that it is infinitely better to start boys and girls in the right direction than it is to let them drift in the early years and try to redeem them when they are grown. As Cassidy understood, and we understand here at the elementary level, “One former is worth a thousand reformers.”

Like other visionary leaders Cassidy was a man of his time. He understood the changes that were occurring around him and set out to educate the larger community to meet those challenges.

From the start, Lexington attracted a relatively educated set of settlers who were sufficiently interested in the cultural arts that the town came to be called, “Athens of the West.” As early as 1783, John “Wildcat” McKinney opened the first school near the fort at Lexington. As the story goes, Wildcat earned his nickname by chasing a real wildcat out of the school house before class one day. Today, those who attend Thursday Night Live or the Farmer’s Market at the new pavilion next to the old Fayette County Courthouse on Main Street are once again playing in McKinney’s school yard.

Over the next 40 years, a handful of tuition-based schools were opened for white children, the closest by Waldemar Mentelle, at the other end of Henry Clays’ property near Ashland, commemorated today by Mentelle Park. The first “Sunday afternoon” school for free blacks was organized by Lexington merchant Col. Patterson in 1798. The school taught various “trades” like masonry and carpentry at a time when many of the skilled artisans in Lexington were blacks. In 1810, Lexington’s 4,300 residents ranked 35th largest in America.

The first tuition-based city school was established, in 1835, when William Morton bequeathed $12,000 to establish a school. The Morton name has been the oldest - in continual use since that time - and since 1938 has shared a campus here on the city’s “old circus grounds” with Cassidy School.

It was not until 1848, following the crusading efforts of State Superintendent Robert J Breckinridge that a fledgling state-wide system of free schools was established. For the first time free common schools could be built using public funds derived from taxation. Several private schools were also opened around this time but only Sayre, which was formed in 1854, has endured.

Since the time of Socrates - and I believe it is still true today - nothing relates more completely to the success of the educational enterprise than the quality of the teacher. Numerous studies strongly suggest that there is a direct relationship between the knowledge of the teacher and the learning of the student. Lexington was fortunate for its ability to attract “good teachers” which was a major stumbling block for much of the rest of the state. A teacher could only teach what they knew or had books to support.

The instructional method, since antiquity, considered the brain to be like a muscle. If you want to get strong, you lift weights, repeatedly. In school, scholars were led to develop “mental discipline” by memorizing large passages of text through endless repetition, choral reading and recitation. Physical discipline could also be harsh for wayward students, and there was no choice of what to study, as it was thought that all students needed the same curriculum.

But a new progressive way of thinking about schools emerged in the late 19th century spurred by a series of articles published in the Forum Magazine. While “muckraking” journalists like Upton Sinclair, was exposing corporate wrongdoings to the American public, Joseph Mayer Rice was doing the same thing to the public schools. His investigation of 1,200 American teachers revealed, “political hacks hiring unqualified teachers who lead children through mind-numbing drill, rote repetition and meaningless verbiage.” The response from the public was massive and the first education reform movement was launched.

Into the fray stepped Massillon Alexander Cassidy and his high-minded effort to make schools child-centered – and to democratize intellectual capital by making it available to all. Cassidy expanded the function of schooling into such areas as health and occupational competencies. He sought to apply scientific research to improve teaching and began “tailoring instruction” to different types of students variously identified within the school population.

Born August 22, 1856, at Morristown, Tennessee, Superintendent Cassidy was the son of “an educator of some note” from Virginia, Jeremiah Alexander Cassidy, and Martha Matilda Jackson Cassidy. He was educated in private grammar schools, graduated Regan High school inMorristown, and received a Master of Arts degree at the University of Kentucky. Professor Cassidy, as he came to be known in Lexington, had been a teacher and journalist in Tennessee and practiced law in Knoxville.

Cassidy was chosen superintendent of Fayette County schools in 1885. He served both the city and the county schools until 1901, after which he remained superintendent of the Lexington Schools until his death in 1928.

The Cassidy family tells a story from his youth. At the close of the Civil War, when Cassidy was a young teen in Tennessee, he was said to have served the Confederate cause. One day he came home to see his mother. Union soldiers were patrolling in the area and came to her home in an attempt to find him. His mother, Martha, saw them coming and had Massillon climb down into the family's well, with its cedar bucket and windlass, to hide. When the soldiers had finished searching the house and grounds, the Union Captain, despite his obvious power, politely asked Martha for a drink of water.

Massillon's mother said, "On one condition: Provided that I can have the first bucket load." The Captain agreed.

When the soldiers cranked up the first bucket with Massillon aboard, the Captain smiled and said, "Madam, I am a man of my word. You can keep the first bucket load."

Cassidy, it is said, came to believe he was spared from an uncertain fate by kindness and the meaning of a man's word - a lesson about honor he carried throughout his life.

Cassidy’s later writings carry overtones of religion and science as was expected of this new breed of progressive schoolmen. Educational leaders of his time made use of religious imagery to underscore the importance, even reverence, with which they undertook to educate the masses and lift the common folk into a civilization full of possibilities for those of good character who were willing to work hard. Along with the efficient use of scientific management the schools were seen as America’s best vehicle to fulfill its destiny as a nation. Schools became the instruments of democracy; to be run with “authority” by professionals who knew best how to run them - in loco parentis. The schools began to be consolidated and curriculum tracking and electives emerged. The system offered “equality of educational opportunity.”

Judge Charles Kerr's 1922 History of Kentucky cites Cassidy's leadership of the Lexington schools as comparing favorably "with those of any other city in the country." His innovations were frequently replicated "in various other sections of the country which have realized the value of elevated educational standards."

During his tenure, he rallied to get children in school and dramatically increased enrollment, "from a few hundred pupils to about 7,000." Kerr writes, "The City of Lexington has long enjoyed the reputation of having one of the best administered and most up-to-date systems of schools found anywhere in the country ... and was one of the first cities in the United States to reorganize its schools on the 6-3-3- plan" – which relates to 6 elementary grades; 3 in junior high; and sophomore through senior years in high school.

The list of Cassidy’s innovations in the schools was long:
• Cassidy condemned nearly every school in the county as his first act as superintendent
• employed teachers who were college graduates
• instituted the penny lunch
• manual training for boys
• "domestic economy" for girls
• Indoor restrooms,
• "opportunity classes ... for irregular children"
• "open air schools"
• "kindergarten in all white schools and some of the negro schools"
• opened building for community use including laundries in the basements of schools for both children and parents" and a community center with a swimming pool and auditorium
• he introduced the "moving picture apparatus" to instruction
• held the first county graduation ceremonies in Kentucky
• formed the Fayette County teachers' Normal Institute in 1887
• appointed a Catholic school trustee in 1896
• formed the Fayette County Colored Teachers' Institute in 1901 with Prof J H Johnson.
• removed the colored board of trustees for not reporting school census
• was regarded as the father of Kentucky's progressive school laws from 1893 - 1905.
• Called for tax increases to better support the schools on several occasions
• was a member of the Democratic Party, the Masons and the Presbyterian church
• And was described in the Lexington Leader as "familiar to every teacher in Kentucky"

Cassidy won wide recognition in educational and other fields. He was a member of the National Educational Association and served as president of the Kentucky Educational Association and of the Southern Educational Association. Cassidy also was widely known as an author, contributing short stories and other articles to various magazines. He won recognition nationally as the author of the Golden Deeds system of character building, which was used throughout Lexington schools.
Cassidy died of a sudden heart attack at 2:45 o’clock after working at his offices downtown that morning. He was 72 years old.

Despite the Great Depression the east end of Lexington was growing rapidly in the thirties. Chevy Chase was being developed and contained many desirable homes for Lexington’s young families. Hollywood and Ashland Park were already established neighborhoods and there was need for a school in this section of the community. M A Cassidy School was completed in 1935 to meet this demand.

Dr Henry H Hill was the director of the building program for the Lexington Public Schools under Cassidy. When he was appointed superintendent in 1930, he named the district’s next new building in honor of his predecessor. Professor Cassidy had won a place in the hearts of Fayette Countians following forty-three years of dedicated service to educating the young.

Annelle Kelly, Cassidy School’s first principal wrote, “The building is a modern red brick structure consisting of six classrooms, large kindergarten room, library, small museum room, office and lavatories. Initial plans were made so that rooms could be added as the enrollment increases.” Interestingly, the land on which it rests once belonged to the Great Compromiser (Kentucky statesman) Henry Clay. The total cost of the building and land was $103,267.00. President Roosevelt’s Public Works Administration paid for 30 percent of the cost and the building was erected by PWA workers.

During the first year (1935-36) the total enrollment was 108. There were three grades and a kindergarten. It was planned to add one new grade per year. Since there was no cafeteria, auditorium or gym, there was only one daily session which ran from 8:30 to 1:15 in the afternoon with a midmorning lunch. It was not until Morton Junior High School was built in 1938 that Cassidy’s school day was lengthened to two sessions and the students shared use of the Morton’s gym, cafeteria and auditorium.

A few years later a new library and one classroom were added to the building. But by September 1956, a large number of children, who were born during the post World War II baby boom, were ready for school, and a new ten classroom wing was built including a cafeteria and gymnasium.

According to the Cassidy Chronicles, published by Cassidy students in 1989, from the start Cassidy School was considered modern and progressive. “The school used phonics in the teaching of reading, rather than the Look-Say method.” During World War II, in lieu of classes one day a week, students planted victory gardens, and collected paper and metal to assist the war effort. The Halloween Carnival was a favorite for years. School children enjoyed the band, orchestra and fully stocked library. City Council member Bill Farmer recalled for our young researchers how much Cassidy emphasized hands-on activities. At one time, the school sponsored both basketball and football teams.

School principals included Mignon Newbern (46-50), Owen Cammack (50-52), Briscoe Evans (52-56), Jeannette Pates (56-65), Emmet Hardy (65-66) Dorothy Friend (66-89), Richard Day (89-04) and Rhonda Fister (04-present).

In the 1968-69 school year, the school was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and exceeded all of the goals that had been set for its improvement. Cassidy received a comprehensive rating from the State Department of Education. The school boasted many fine programs and strong community support. The Cassidy PTA was similarly recognized as the best PTA in the state, honorable mention at the national level and among the first schools to be recognized by the National PTA for its high level of parental involvement. Cassidy had become a model for other schools to emulate.

To prepare for a renovation in December of 1976, the entire school population was moved, for the entire school year, to that other school named for Cassidy - Picadome. Picadome School derived its name from the first two letters of the names of four men: State Superintendent Pickett; Superintendent Cassidy, and District Trustees Douglas and Meyers.

By the mid 80’s a national wave of school reform had begun again. Following a report called A Nation at Risk, schools began a number of efforts including increased testing of school children. The state developed the Kentucky Essential Skills Test and began recognizing the best schools through the Flags of Excellence program. To receive a Flag of Excellence, 80% of the student body had to exceed the national average on the test while maintaining better than 95% attendance. Cassidy received a flag every year of the program and routinely ranked at the top of district ratings.

Four more classrooms were added in 1988 as major changes were about to take place in schools across Kentucky because of the Kentucky Supreme Court’s declaration that the entire state system of schools was unconstitutional. By 1990 the Kentucky Education Reform Act took effect. A host of new initiatives were implemented including the Primary Program and School Councils. By the mid nineties, the state had implemented a high-stakes accountability system based on test scores reported by subgroups. The operating philosophy in the schools changed from “equality of educational opportunity” to “equity of student achievement outcomes.” Overnight, Cassidy went from being the school with the highest average performance, to being the school with the largest achievement gap. Much of the school’s subsequent effort went toward closing those gaps. In 2006, the school was recognized by the Fayette County Educational Foundation for having closed 80% of the achievement gap.

The current school reform movement echoes the challenge Cassidy faced a century earlier. In his day, a grammar school education was no longer sufficient and high schools were built in every county in Kentucky in response. Today’s educational leaders face a similar, but still higher, goal of increasing the percentage of Kentuckians who have Bachelor’s Degrees or advanced technical training required by today’s industries.

Remarkable recent advances in technology and communications have once again raised the bar, but this time the competition is not just state to state. It is global. I shudder to think of the future of a Cassidy child who goes out into the 21st century world armed only with a high school diploma. What kind of job might they expect to get? I am comforted by the knowledge that Cassidy parents are already planning for the advanced education of their children.

In 2009, the state legislature called for a new testing system, which will be based on national standards, to replace the CATS test. The new system promises to take less time to administer and it will collect student test data from 3rd grade through graduation on each student. It will also include the ACT, and end of course exams in Algebra, Geometry, Biology and U S History. The arts will be assessed through a program review.

In the meantime, several state education groups have continued to report the performance of our schools under a revised version of the CATS system. By that reckoning, things are going better than ever at Cassidy School. In the most recent testing, Cassidy kids finished with a nearly perfect Transition Index of 123. That’s number one in Fayette County, and number two in the state. Way to go, y’all.

At the district level, Superintendent Silberman reported this week that 24 Fayette County schools have reached proficiency. Overall the district has moved 76 percent of its students into proficiency while achievement among most subgroups of student have improved. The superintendent credited the district’s success to the same group of folks who have always come together wherever successful schools exist: hard-working teachers, dedicated administrators and a community that values a great education for its children.

Silberman also credited the nickel tax, approved in 2007, for securing state-of-the-art educational facilities for the future. We find no better example of that than Cassidy’s $11 million makeover.

In the words of architect Susan Hill of Tate Hill Jacobs, "Buildings are not just about the architecture, they’re really about the life of the community that's gone through them. They're about the lessons learned, the stories shared, friendships made – and [this] building embodies all of that. A new building would never do that, even if it was built on the same site."
I feel quite certain that MA Cassidy felt the same. He knew that we public school folks are in the people business.

Soon after his death, Cassidy’s friends began receiving his annual self-designed Christmas greetings in the mail – complete with one of his famous poems. It was entitled,

My Picture Gallery

I’ve strolled in halls where famous art displayed in all its splendor,
stirred deep emotions in my heart- repulsive mixed with tender.

But in my heart there is a hall adorned with finest pictures,
on every side they deck the wall with no revolting mixtures.

A single artist painted them on canvas that’s eternal,
and every one that artist’s gem, whose joy is diuturnal.

The artist is well known as Friend, a true and tender painter,
whose colors last unto the end nor with the years grow fainter.

His colors are affections, smiles, and trueness and devotion,
unmixed with any sordid wiles, or any base emotion.

Within my hall, you I behold, and count you as a treasure,
that paintings all by artists bold can never find a measure.

And in my heart hall there’s a glow that comes from sunny faces;
and nothing sweeter shall I know than all your friendly graces.

By Dr Richard Day
Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations
Eastern Kentucky University
Principal, Cassidy School, 1989-2004