Wednesday October 15, 2025
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes on Thursday recognized four Kentucky high school students for winning her office’s 29th annual essay contest. She held a ceremony at Rupp Arena during the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament.
The winners in their respective grades are:
- 9th Grade – Nevaeh Hope Dearmond (Logan County High School, Russellville)
- 10th Grade – Chloe Morgan Watkins (Logan County High School, Russellville)
- 11th Grade – Anna Frances Baskin (Henry Clay High School, Lexington)
- 12th Grade – Victoria Kelly Brunson (Craft Academy at Morehead State University)
“Just yesterday, I stood hand in hand with students as they let their voices be heard about gun violence and safety in schools. Everywhere you turn, young people are driving engagement in their schools, their communities, and in Kentucky,” said Grimes. “These four young women are incredible representatives of all the young people who getting up, getting out, and getting loud right now. I know Kentucky’s future is very bright.”
Created in 1988, the Secretary of State’s essay contest serves to inspire students to be active and informed citizens, with particular emphasis on election-related issues. High school students are invited to write essays regarding the First Amendment and elections. Entries were judged on research and understanding of voting and the First Amendment, idea development, organization, language and correctness. The University of Kentucky Scripps Howard First Amendment Center judges the anonymous contest entries.
Each winner received a $1,000 cash scholarship made possible by the Office of Secretary of State and its partners, KEA and KEA Retired, the University of Kentucky Scripps Howard First Amendment Center and the Kentucky Department of Education.
Winners of the slogan contest, which is open to students in grades 6 through 8, will be announced separately.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio tonight announced a new task force to reimagine and reshape the district’s alternative school programs.
“It’s time to rethink how we deliver services to our most at-risk students—ensuring that we’re providing them a quality education, relevant and career-focused opportunities and the comprehensive support services they need to thrive both in school and at home,” Dr. Pollio said.
The new model would establish separate programs and facilities for middle and high school students. Additionally, it would focus on providing career-focused opportunities to students by linking them to Academies of Louisville programming and providing a more personalized learning experience. This would allow students to make progress at the appropriate pace, instead of being confined by the restraints of a particular schedule structure.
“Currently, they’re all on traditional schedules, which is particularly challenging for students in an alternative-school setting, who are often behind,” said assistant superintendent Dr. Katy Zeitz, who oversees alternative schools and will serve as the task force chair. “Our goal is to reconnect and provide support to some of our most disenfranchised students. The task force will brainstorm and consider options, think through research-based programming and best practice strategies that work best for at-risk students and help vet new programs for JCPS.”
Dr. Zeitz is working closely with the JCPS Office of Diversity, Equity and Poverty Programs (DEP) to identify and select individuals within the district and community who can provide expertise and insight into relevant practices with at-risk and court-involved youth.
“Our task is: how do we build a situation that is safe and relevant, but also meets the social and emotional needs of students who have experienced the kinds of violence and trauma that some of our kids have seen?” Dr. Zeitz said. “We want to provide more wrap-around and therapeutic supports to students, and collaborate and partner with other city efforts around response to trauma, violence prevention and safe and healthy neighborhoods.”
The group will convene for the first time this spring. Pending any needed approvals from the Jefferson County Board of Education, changes to the district’s alternative school programs would be effective with the 2019-20 school year.
3-day summit to train educators on restorative intervention strategies
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and Spalding University are teaming up to host a three-day summit to highlight and train educators on restorative justice practices.
The Restorative Justice Practices Training Summit, being held March 14-16 at Spalding, will educate school administrators, teachers, staff and school resource officers about the methods of restorative practice, a social science that seeks to manage conflict and tensions by repairing harm and restoring relationships.
“Restorative practice has been a valuable tool in guiding how we respond to conflict and misbehavior in the classroom while emphasizing safety and accountability,” JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said. “Our ultimate goal is to utilize these strategies to decrease referrals and improve school attendance.”
JCPS has turned to intervention strategies such as restorative practice and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in recent years to proactively manage student behavior. The district implemented a restorative practice pilot at 10 schools this fall, with another eight schools to be added in the 2018-19 school year. Preliminary data indicate that restorative practice elementary and high schools were outperforming the district on suspension incidents, suspension days and in-school suspensions, while two of the three middle schools in the pilot have shown recent improvements in the suspension data.
“We look forward to hosting JCPS leaders and resource officers on our campus to learn more about restorative practices,” Spalding President Tori Murden McClure said. “At Spalding, we’ve made restorative practices a priority and believe they are a thoughtful, compassionate way to manage conflicts and build community. Spalding has implemented restorative techniques and methods on our campus to help find solutions and understanding in a range of settings.”
The first day of the conference is designed for professionals who work in K-12 educational settings and are interesting in finds ways to implement restorative practice in their schools.
School resource officers will take part in the second and third days of the conference, which will include training and offer examples on how to utilize authority in restorative ways. The focus will be on fostering positive relationships with students and how to implement talking circles – controlled group conversations designed to promote dialogue about difficult topics and offer all parties equal time to talk freely in a safe setting.
In some cases, restorative practices are also being used as an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system in Louisville. With restorative practices, the offender and victim volunteer to participate together to express what harm has been done, who is responsible for repairing that harm and how can that harm be repaired, according to Restorative Justice Louisville, whose offices are located on Spalding’s campus.
The International Institute of Restorative Practices and local law enforcement agencies will all be partners in the training. In addition, JCPS Behavior Support Systems Department Coordinator Naomi Brahim and resource teachers Angel Jackson and Ronzell Smith will present, along with Spalding Director of Forensic Psychology and Restorative Studies Dr. Ida Dickie and forensic psychology graduate student Mariya Leyderman.
The conference is being held at Spalding University’s College Street Building, 812 Second St.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio announced today that Kymberly “Kym” Rice has been named the new principal of the Academy @ Shawnee. Rice will begin leading the school on March 19.
“Kym is a tireless leader who is passionate about providing educational supports for students and ensuring that every child is engaged and feels a sense of belonging,” Dr. Pollio said. “She has a proven record of successful school turnaround work, and I know that great things are in store for Shawnee as she engages with families, staff and stakeholders to reimagine the opportunities available for students.”
Rice currently serves as the principal for Western Middle School for the Arts (WMSFA), where she’s worked to transform the instruction, expectations, culture and climate over the past five years. Staff and coworkers describe her as a tireless advocate for students.
“It was a difficult decision to leave WMSFA where we’ve had tremendous success, but those who know me best know that my work is a calling, and I feel led to impact the lives of even more students at Shawnee,” Rice said. “I look forward to partnering with the Shawnee community to create a new map for improvement and growth at this historic institution.”
Before leading WMSFA, Rice worked as a turnaround expert for the Kentucky Department of Education.
In Rice’s absence, assistant superintendent Michelle Dillard will work alongside retired administrator Betty Graham to oversee day-to-day operations at WMSFA until the end of the year. A new principal will be named this summer.
Louisville families with children of all ages are invited to a free resource fair showcasing summer activities for children, youth, and families on Saturday, March 10. Themed “SOAR” which stands for Summer Opportunities and Resource Fair, the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DuValle Education Center gym, 3610 Bohne Ave.
SOAR will feature local summer activities for children and teens including a wide variety of summer camps, parks and recreation programs, as well as employment, internship, and volunteer opportunities from a full list of exhibitors. This event is being held in March to allow individuals time to plan ahead and register for opportunities while openings are available.
More than 20 vendors and other agencies providing information and resources plan to participate including:
- Academy of Music Production (AMPED)
- Bellarmine University
- Catholic Enrichment Center
- Community Dental Family Dental Care
- DOODs Inc.
- Early Childhood Education
- ECHO (Exploited Children’s Help Organization)
- Falls of the Ohio
- Family Scholar House
- First Gethsemane Baptist church
- 4-H College of Agriculture, Food Science, and Sustainable Systems
- 4 Your Child
- KET
- Louisville Free Public Library
- Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation
- Make It Count Consulting
- Norton’s Children’s Hospital Prevention and Wellness
- PACT in Action/Center for Women and Families
- Reimage
- Summerbridge Louisville
- Summer Explorations/ First Virginia Avenue Baptist Church
- SummerWorks/Kentuckiana Works/Youth Build
- University of Louisville Family Dental Care
This event also features a drawing for a summer program scholarship at Junior Achievement.
“Summer is a time to have fun, explore new places and ideas, learn new skills, make new friends and even make a little money”, stated Elisa Freeman-Carr, administrator of Ujima Neighborhood Place. “We’re excited to host the SOAR event to connect children and youth, especially those from lower income households, with the many wonderful summer programs, classes, camps, and other opportunities offered in our community.”
SOAR is also hosted by Jefferson County Public Schools, the Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation, the Villages of Park Duvalle and multiple Neighborhood Place sites including Ujima, Cane Run, Bridges of Hope and South Central.
For questions about the SOAR event, or if you represent an agency which would like to participate, please contact Elisa Freeman-Carr at 313-6145 or Elisa.Freeman-Carr@louisvilleky.gov or Buffie Daubard at 313-4447 or Buffie.Daubard@jefferson.kyschools.us. You can also download this flyer to share with others who may be interested.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) will open the application period for prospective charter schools on April 16 when it releases its Request for Charter School Applications (RFCSA). The 60-day application period, for schools looking to open in the 2019/20 school year, will run through June 15.
Potential applicants are encouraged to take advantage of technical assistance opportunities offered by JCPS throughout the application period. Each application will be reviewed based on its merit against the rubric published in the RFCSA. There is no incentive in submitting an application early.
The Jefferson County RFCSA will include the Kentucky Charter School Application as well as additional questions specific to community needs in Jefferson County. In addition, the RFCSA will include more information about the form, format and information required for the completion of the application.
Cassie Blausey, director of school choice for JCPS, said the district must move forward with the application process even though state funding has not yet been determined. “Charter school legislation was passed during the 2017 legislative session. As a result, all local school boards are automatically charter school authorizers and required to comply with the legislation,” she said. “The RFCSA is the board’s action to comply with the legislation.”
Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Blausey at cassiopia.blausey@jefferson.kyschools.us, or at (502) 485-3138, for more information.
Ashley Scholle, a fourth grade language arts and social studies teacher at Audubon Traditional Elementary School, has been presented with the Excellence in Classroom and Educational Leadership (ExCEL) Award. Representatives from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and from the award sponsors — LG&E and KU and WHAS11 — honored the teacher on March 6 during a ceremony at the school.
“Ms. Scholle is a wonderful fourth grade teacher who models integrity, respect, creativity and accountability,” said Audubon Principal Tiffany Marshall. “She is a leader in the building who supports the students inside and outside of the classroom. Students know they have to learn, and are willing to be challenged to reach their potential.”
Scholle dedicates extensive time and energy to her students and school community outside the classroom as well. She has been involved in numerous initiatives, including the Reading Content Specialist Team and Visual and Performing Arts Program Review Committee, teaches Extended Learning and serves as Quick Recall Coach.
“Mrs. Scholle has a passion for teaching and helping students realize their full potential by creating a safe and engaging learning environment that inspires students to work at higher levels,” said Robin Divine, a counselor at Audubon. “She inspires students to participate in her classroom and they always feel safe to ask questions to further their knowledge.”
As part of LG&E and KU’s commitment to supporting education across the communities it serves, Scholle and other ExCEL Award winning teachers each receive a $1,000 instructional grant from the company.
