education

Noise and Notes: The 'Herculean' JCPS Audit, Teacher's Union Blasted and Charter Schools

Phillip M. Bailey — Sun, 12 May 2013 02:30:00 +0000

Jefferson County Public Schools is set to be the subject of a what observers are calling a "Herculean" state audit to review Kentucky's largest school district.

It's unclear what the JCPS audit will turn up, but most agree a review of the city's $1 billion budget with over 100,000 students is long overdue. Some school board members object to the examination by saying JCPS has been probed enough, but critics argue paying $125,000 to learn more about the district's finances and administration is important.

The review will focus on contracts, travel expenses and ethics policies, and especially the financial and administrative operations of the central office.

"This is the result of properly focused policy makers organically having conversations about how important public education is," Audit Adam Edelen has said.

Kentucky High School Best in the U.S., Says Newsweek/The Daily Beast

Joseph Lord — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Newsweek and The Daily Beast have again set out to find the best high school in the United States, based on which schools are doing the best job preparing students for college.

Kentucky Students' Written Exam Responses Dropped from State Assessment

Devin Katayama — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:22:15 +0000

The Kentucky Department of Education says it will drop the written portion of the state’s End-of-Course Exams—called the constructed-response questions—in its accountability system, which officials expected will save money and time.

But some are concerned the change, effective this year, is a step back from Kentucky’s recent education reforms.

Kentucky Rep. Carl Rollins, Education Committee Chair, Resigns

Staff — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:38:52 +0000

State Rep. Carl Rollins, chairman of the Kentucky House Education Committee, is resigning his office for a position with the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority and the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation.

Rollins, a Midway Democrat, sent a letter to Gov. Steve Beshear on Tuesday notifying of his intention to resign. The resignation is effective at the close of business Wednesday.

Rollins represents the House's 56th District, which covers Woodford County and parts of Fayette and Franklin counties. Read the letter below:

Details of Jefferson County Public Schools Audit To Be Released Wednesday

Staff — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:43:03 +0000

Less than a day after the Jefferson County Public Schools board asked State Auditor Adam Edelen to look into the district's finances and policies, Edelen has responded.

On Wednesday morning, Edelen, Mayor Greg Fischer, Superintendent Donna Hargens and Board of Education Chair Diane Porter will announce the scope of the state audit of JCPS.

Strange Fruit: Kentucky Schools Unsafe for LGBTQ Students

Laura Ellis — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Did you feel safe in middle and high school? Were you ever physically harassed, or even assaulted, because of your LGBTQ identity? A report released last month by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) confirms what many of us already knew: Kentucky schools are often hostile and unsafe for LGBTQ students.

The study is called School Climate in Kentucky (PDF), and the results show lots of work still needs to be done. For example, 9 out of 10 students in the Commonwealth say they regularly hear anti-gay slurs in school. 36% report regularly hearing that language from school staff members.

Nearly 6 in 1o students were physically harassed (like being pushed or shoved), and 3 in 10 were physically assaulted (like being punched, kicked, or injured with a weapon) because of their LGBTQ status or gender presentation.

So instead of just rattling off numbers and feeling disheartened, we decided to speak to the folks who compiled the research. Mark Bartkiewicz is a GLSEN researcher who worked on the state reports, and he joined us by phone this week to talk about the results, how Kentucky's numbers compare to other states, and what can be done to help (spoiler alert: it's gay/straight student alliances and enlightened faculty members).

We also spoke more this week about the closet door in professional sports (for people who know next to nothing about them, we sure do talk about them a lot). This week, NCAA breakout star & top WNBA draft pick Brittney Griner came out of the closet. "I wouldn't say I was hiding or anything like that," she told Sports Illustrated in an interview. "I've always been open about who I am and my sexuality. So it wasn't hard at all. If I can show that I'm out and I'm fine and everything's ok, then hopefully the younger generation will definitely feel the same way."

Who doesn't feel the same way? Male professional athletes, it would seem. In fact, this same week, NFL player and University of Louisville alumnus Kerry Rhodes has been the target of gay rumors after MediaTakeOut.com released pictures of him looking affectionate with another man while on vacation (they helpfully illustrated the story with an NFL logo in which the football has been covered in pink sequins).

Rhodes told The Advocate that he's not gay, but he's an ally. "I know a lot of people are recently talking about athletes struggling to come out to their fans right now," he said, "and I support them, as well as wish those individuals comfort." It seems like the world is waiting for an actively-playing male athlete to come out, so in our Juicy Fruit and closing thoughts segments this week, we did some unpacking of the situation. How do sexual politics play out in the hyper-masculine culture of pro sports (especially football), and why is it so very different for women athletes than men?

Listen | WFPL News Special on Alternative Schools

Devin Katayama — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:20:17 +0000

There are more than two dozen alternative schools and programs in Jefferson County, each serving a unique student population including many at-risk students. The programs range from drug-abuse treatment to online learning opportunities.

But how do alternative schools work? And why are they needed?

Indiana Supreme Court Upholds Broadest School Voucher Program in U.S.

Associated Press — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:56:24 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Supreme Court has upheld the nation's broadest school voucher program, clearing the way for its expansion.

Critics had argued that the program primarily benefited religious institutions that run private schools.

Stories of Dropping Out: 'I Started to Procrastinate'

Devin Katayama — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:20:00 +0000

Twenty-year-old Kimani Straub says he left Seneca High School just shy of receiving his high school diploma. He's been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and bipolar disorder, but he was always able to maintain good grades.

But when he discovered after 14 years the man he thought was his father wasn't, things started to slip.

Jefferson County's 'Priority' Schools Struggle the Most

Devin Katayama — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 11:00:00 +0000

A majority of Kentucky’s priority schools—formerly known as persistently low-achieving—have not made adequate progress for turning around student achievement, according to a report presented to the Kentucky Board of Education this week. And Jefferson County is being singled out.

Of the 41 schools that have been deemed priority schools only 18 have made acceptable progress, said the education department's Susan Allred.