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More than 1,600 educators from across Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) will convene at the Kentucky Exposition Center over the next three days for the inaugural JCPS Deeper Learning Symposium—a powerful new summer conference led by educators and focused on innovative ideas in JCPS.
The JCPS Deeper Learning Symposium, held June 7-9, will feature nationally prominent keynote speakers as well as a number of JCPS teachers and educators as presenters. JCPS Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens will welcome attendees at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the South Hall. Dr. Marty Pollio will also help kick off the symposium as a featured presenter with a session on deeper learning in action in JCPS at 10 a.m. The sessions are open to members of the media.
The symposium will focus on the district’s vision to create personalized, deeper learning for every student and professional—a key goal of the Vision 2020 strategic plan. Deeper learning is grounded in helping students develop the social, emotional and intellectual knowledge, skills, capacities and dispositions to thrive in school and beyond by cultivating:
- Caring, constructive learning relationships;
- Meaningful, personalized, real-world learning experiences;
- And supportive, equity-focused learning environments.
Gov. Matt Bevin has made the following appointments to the School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council:
- Casey Michelle Gesenhues, Fort Thomas, represents teachers. Gesenhues is a teacher at Fort Thomas Independent Schools. She shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2021;
- Dale Allen McDowell, Maysville, represents principals. He is a principal for Lewis County Schools. McDowell shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2021;
- Steven Randall Evans, Danville, represents school district assessment coordinators. He is a school assessment coordinator for the Madison County Schools. Evans shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2021;
- Nathan Scott Bruins, Georgetown, represents exceptional education teachers or administrators. He is a teacher for Scott County Schools. Bruins shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2021;
- William Owens, Beattyville, represents local school board members. He is the chairman of the Lee County Board of Education. Owens shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Justin Kyle Mitchell, Bowling Green, represents gifted and talented teachers or administrators. He is a teacher for Simpson County Schools. Mitchell shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Terry Lee Sullivan, Boaz, represents career and technical programs. He is the principal of the Fulton County Area Technology Center. Sullivan shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Kelly D. Bradley, Lexington, represents higher education members with expertise in assessment. She is a professor in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. Bradley shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Valerie O’Rear, Fisherville, represents private sector representatives with workforce experience. She is an entrepreneur and health care professional. O’Rear shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Thomas Salyer, Paintsville, represents superintendents. He is the superintendent for Johnson County Schools. Salyer shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Tracey Lynn Cusick, Union, represents parents. She is engaged in community and education organizations. Cusick shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Jennifer Putnam, Lancaster, represents science, math, and technology teachers. She is a teacher in the Garrard County School System. Putnam shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Shad Michael Sletto, Ft. Mitchell, represents the Education Professional Standards Board. He is a representative of workforce as a director at EGC Construction Corporation. Sletto shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019.
Attorney General Andy Beshear is requesting that the U.S. Department of Education stop delaying student loan forgiveness for thousands of Kentucky students victimized by the predatory practices of Corinthian Colleges Inc.
Beshear said nearly 2,000 Kentucky students, and 24,000 students nationwide, have already been approved for loan forgiveness but are experiencing delays.
“As attorney general, my mission is to protect Kentucky families from consumer fraud, especially the deception by for-profit colleges like Corinthian,” Beshear said. “Thousands of Kentucky students have been promised debt relief from fraudulent Corinthian loans, and we must do everything in our power to help them escape from this financial burden.”
In a June 5 letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Beshear, joined by 17 states’ and the District of Columbia’s attorneys general, to urge the Department of Education to review the mounting loan forgiveness applications and work quickly to finalize the applications.
The for-profit Corinthian Colleges abruptly ceased operations in 2015, after the federal government and state attorneys general found that Corinthian Colleges engaged in widespread consumer fraud by falsifying its job placement rate between 2010 and 2014.
In Kentucky, Corinthian Colleges targeted Kentuckians under the name Everest College and Everest University, offering online classes. Corinthian also marketed its WyoTech program in Kentucky attempting to recruit Kentuckians to its WyoTech campuses in Pennsylvania and Florida.
In April 2017, Beshear’s office sent a letter to eligible Kentucky students, who fell within the U.S. Department of Education’s findings of fraud concerning Corinthian, explaining that they were eligible for streamlined federal student loan cancellation.
Beshear said because of the delays some students are nearing the end of 12-month forbearances on their loans, and face restarting monthly payments on debts that should be canceled.
Beshear’s office is committed to holding for-profit colleges accountable in Kentucky and is working to help defrauded students.
On April 24, 2017, Beshear joined with other state attorneys general to send a letter to federal officials expressing concern over the withdrawal of critical student loan servicing reforms.
In December 2016, Beshear announced nearly 3,500 former students of Daymar College’s Kentucky campuses and online programs will receive restitution checks totaling $1.2 million. The payments are pursuant to a settlement agreement the Office of the Attorney General entered into with Daymar in 2015 resolving a consumer protection lawsuit.
In August 2016, Beshear announced that the Kentucky Court of Appeals had affirmed a previous order by Franklin Circuit Court requiring National College of Kentucky Inc. and its attorneys to pay the state a combined $157,000 in civil monetary sanctions. The Kentucky Supreme Court declined to take up National College’s request to overturn the appeals’ court decision. National College has asked the Supreme Court to review the decision.
In March 2016, Beshear joined seven other state attorneys general in asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to restore educational and vocational benefits to thousands of veterans victimized by Corinthian Colleges Inc. for predatory practices. Kentucky veterans are among the 2,000 students receiving letters from Beshear regarding their federal loans.
Additionally, Beshear warns Kentucky college students to not fall for companies promising loan debt relief services for a large fee and the student’s personal information.
Beshear said his office of Consumer Protection is currently investigating several of these companies, and is asking students who have been a victim to contact his office by phone, 502-696-5300, or by completing a complaint form online.
Council Members Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13) and Madonna Flood (D-24) are encouraging pet owners to take advantage of a special event on Saturday, June 10th that will offer one stop services for your pet. “We have put together an event where you can have your pet microchipped, licensed, or vaccinated. It all is available in one location and at low cost,” says Welch. “If you have been putting off updating your pet’s licenses and vaccinations this would be a perfect time to get that done.”
Both Councilwomen are sponsoring the event which will take place at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge #2173 at 201 Outer Loop. The event will be held from 9:00am to 12:00pm. “We encourage every pet owner to take advantage of this event and save a little money while being a responsible pet owner,” says Flood. “We want to make sure everyone, including our furry friends, are safe in our neighborhoods.”
Price List:
- 1YR Altered License $10.00
- 1YR Altered Sr. License $ 5.00
- 1YRUnaltered License $60.00
- 3YR Altered License $27.00
- 3YR Senior License $13.50
- 1YR Rabies Vaccination $10.00
- 3YR Rabies Vaccination $15.00
- Microchip $25.00
For more information about the event, contact Councilwoman Welch’s Office at 574-1113 or Councilwoman Flood’s Office at 574-1124.
Louisville Metro Public Art together with the Commission on Public Art has announced two new projects developed by Louisville artists. The public art projects are focused on pedestrian and cycling experiences in Louisville, and will invite community involvement and participation. Artists Lance Newman and Todd Smith were selected for their innovative approach to public art in the form of poetry and technology, and how we encounter art in our city sidewalks, streets, and bridges.
“Public art can take many forms. As our city grows and changes, so do the artists and their unique approach to contemporary topics,” Public Art Administrator Sarah Lindgren said. “We are thrilled to partner with Lance and Todd whose projects will captivate Louisvillians and visitors. These artworks will enhance our daily experience as we walk to work, catch the ZeroBus, go to a concert, or cross the Ohio River.”
Descriptions of both projects are below:
Love in the Street: This project supports Louisville’s growing poetry scene and enhances the pedestrian experience on 4th Street for tourists, employees, concertgoers and more. Louisville poet Lance G. Newman II is the artist and curator who conceived the project to invite place-based poems and stamp them into the 4th Street sidewalk between Broadway and Chestnut in conjunction with the forthcoming streetscape project in 2018. A call for poems will be announced this summer.
Bike Sense Louisville: This project connects cyclists, technology and sound to capture and reflect data in real-time. Artist Todd C. Smith will use sensor units attached to the handlebars of 100 volunteer cyclists to create a web-based data visualization and a sound composition that will be streamed online and on the speakers of the Big Four Bridge. The sound composition will be determined by the activity of the cyclists. Along with general location, the sensor units on the bikes of volunteer cyclists will also gather ambient temperature and carbon monoxide gas data. The project will take place over one year starting in summer 2017.
The citizen cyclists will represent a cross-section of bike users in Louisville, from hobbyists to regular commuters. To volunteer as a cyclist, please visit https://www.bikesense.net/
Governor Matt Bevin signed an executive order Friday that establishes the Kentucky Charter Schools Advisory Council to ensure successful implementation of House Bill 520 (HB 520). The order also realigns key education boards, councils and committees to provide an efficient, modern structure for implementing Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) and provides for greater coordination of efforts across the education system.
“The historic charter school legislation passed during this year’s General Assembly session represents a truly momentous step forward in providing quality choices for Kentucky’s most vulnerable students,” said Gov. Bevin. “This advisory council will play a vital role in ensuring the success of this exciting new educational option. Public charter schools will create the promise of real opportunity for young people and their families where hope does not currently exist.”
The Charter Schools Advisory Council will serve as a resource to the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE).
Senate Bill 1, passed during the 2017 session of the Kentucky General Assembly, set up a framework for the state’s new school accountability system and future academic standards. KBE now has the responsibility of disseminating regulations for that new system and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Kentucky’s state plan, which includes its redesigned accountability system, is due to the U.S. Department of Education in September 2018. Further, the Standards and Assessment Review and Development Committee will soon begin the process of reviewing current academic standards and proposing changes to the Kentucky Board of Education sometime next year.
“Increased expertise on Kentucky’s boards and councils will help ensure that Kentucky’s new accountability system results in improved education outcomes for students,” said Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner. “Through this realignment, we are appointing members and advisors who will serve in dual capacities on various boards. These dual members and advisors will enhance the flow of communication between boards.”
Gov. Bevin’s executive order will improve collaboration among key stakeholders of the following boards and councils:
- Kentucky Board of Education
- Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)
- Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB)
- School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council (SCAAC)
- Standards and Assessment Review and Development Committee
- State Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education
- State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children
- Reading Diagnostic and Intervention Grant Steering Committee
The changes to the Kentucky Board of Education include providing four non-voting, non-member advisers in an effort to enhance alignment of education decision making on all levels. The new advisers will include a member of CPE; a member of EPSB; a member of the SCAAC; and a member of the Charter Schools Advisory Council.
Changes to the EPSB with this executive order include increasing the diversity of board members’ experience and expertise, and ensuring greater coordination among EPSB and other education boards and commissions, including SCAAC and the Kentucky Board of Education. EPSB establishes standards and requirements for professional educator licensure, and establishes standards for and approves Kentucky’s educator preparation programs.
“These new structures will bring a greater diversity of expertise outside of education to address workforce needs, and the needs of Kentucky’s 21st century economy,” said Heiner.
Photo: Secretary of State website
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is visiting Taiwan next week on an international trade mission to Asia with a delegation from the United States.
Grimes is one of four secretaries of state selected to participate in a trip the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) is coordinating and funding. Grimes made a similar visit in 2013, making the trip her second in office.
“I am proud of the relationships we have built with companies operating in Taiwan and with government officials there. During my second visit to Taiwan, I will continue to spread the word about why doing business in Kentucky is prudent and encouraging investment in the Commonwealth,” said Grimes, who is Kentucky’s chief business official.
Grimes is committed to facilitating growth for Kentucky businesses abroad. Since her 2013 trip, Grimes has met numerous times with TECRO officials during their visits to the Commonwealth. Earlier this year, she worked with representatives to help make Kentucky the 21st U.S. state with a reciprocal driver’s license agreement with Taiwan, further strengthening economic relations.
Grimes will meet with several of the Kentucky companies with offices in Taiwan, including Ashland, Inc., Sunspring America, Inc., and Taihu Brewing. She will also meet with representatives of the Asian Pacific Council of American Chambers. Other corporations with a Kentucky-Taiwan presence include Brown-Forman and Conntek Integrated Solutions in Louisville.
Taiwan is Kentucky’s 6th largest export market in Asia with more than $147 million exports in 2015. Also in 2015, Taiwan officials signed letters of intent to purchase corn and soybeans from Kentucky growers in 2016 and 2017.
Taiwan and Kentucky have been sister states since 1982 in a partnership formed by former Gov. John Y. Brown, Jr.
“Taiwan has been one of Kentucky’s important partners on the international stage. I look forward to helping foster growth of our partnership and seeking more mutually beneficial trading relationships within Taiwan,” Grimes said.
