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Nearly 80 judges and attorneys from the Louisville Bar Association will speak to nearly 2,000 Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) high school students to help them gain an understanding of financial literacy during the two-day Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE) blitz.
Attorney volunteers will lead 75 sessions throughout the two days at 22 school sites, helping the teens gain an appreciation for money matters and learn about responsible personal financial management, including budgeting; use of credit; the significance of a credit score; interest; and making a distinction between wants and needs.
Volunteers will also touch on identity theft, cyber dangers and pay day lending.
Now in its 11th year in Jefferson County, CARES is the largest public service project of the Louisville Bar Association (LBA). Founded in 2002 by Bankruptcy Judge John C. Ninfo in Rochester, New York, the program is offered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
More than 600 students from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and area private schools will gather Wednesday for the JCPS IdeaFestival, to be held from 9 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, 501 W. Main St.
With a theme of the ‘flip side,’ the student-centered conference will feature 10 presentations, highlighting discussions of current and forward-looking ideas and issues from a diverse group of speakers. Student-planned and executed, the event provides young people with an outlet to express opinions and delve into timely issues, and encourages students to see the connection between these issue and their lives. You can follow the day’s action on Twitter using #staycurious, #WeAreJCPS or following @ifjcps.
Presentations include:
- 9:30 a.m.: “The Secret to Success” (Jocelyn Marables – Brown School)
- 9:45 a.m.: “The Design Process Demonstrated through Cup Holders” (Billy Dunbar – Jeffersontown High School)
- 10:15 a.m.: “Flipping the Script on Sexual Assault” (Autumn Knuckles – DuPont Manual High School)
- 10:45 a.m.: “Mindfulness” (Robin O’Bryant – Fairdale High School)
- 10:55 a.m.: “English as a Second Language” (Camille Rougier, Marco Munoz and Melissa Perello – DuPont Manual High School)
- 12 p.m.: “Diversity” (Mwamini Mulungula, Mustafa Abdulrazak, Meena Abdulrazak, Dhahira Faqih, Keon Farris and Evan Farmer – Fairdale High School)
- 1 p.m.: Early Dismissal
- 1:30 p.m.: “Where Art and Identity Meet” (Alicia Juarez, Dailah Dwuye and Amelia Oliver – Marion C. Moore School)
- 1:50 p.m.: “Practicing Allyship in the Face of Oppression” (Netra Rastogi – DuPont Manual High School)
- 2:15 p.m.: “Comics, Career, Identity and the Future” (Robert Middleton and Josiah Garvizu – Marion C. Moore School)
- 2:30 p.m.: Entertainment – “I Know a Place” (Cole Railey and Caleb Kennedy – Eastern High School)
- 2:45 p.m.: Closing of Festival
In 2014, the JCPS IdeaFestival evolved from the IF Manual event, a festival held at DuPont Manual High School and inspired by the official IdeaFestival. The JCPS IdeaFestival has expanded to deliver thought-provoking presentations and festivals to the entire JCPS district and private schools.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio, Dave Myers, Fairdale High School heavy equipment science instructor, Fairdale High School students, business partners and former students will celebrate Fairdale High School’s launch as an Academies of Louisville school beginning in the 2018/19 school year, focusing on preparing students for careers in law enforcement, fire science and heavy equipment. Fairdale will be the 12th – and newest – academies school within JCPS.
Following brief remarks, students will demonstrate exercises in all three program areas to highlight the real-world experiences they’re gaining in an academies-model curriculum, including a high-speed chase in a driving simulator; forcible door entry simulation; and heavy equipment operation.
In addition, FHS graduates who are now working in related careers will be available for interviews.
This evening the Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) announced the selection of Dr. Martin “Marty” Pollio to serve as the next superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS).
“Dr. Pollio stepped in to lead our district on an interim basis during a very difficult time,” said JCBE Board Chair Diane Porter. “During the past eight months, he’s brought stability, reenergized our district and focused our priorities on what our schools and staff need to make all students successful. I know his leadership at JCPS will be student-centered, student-focused and student-driven, which is just what our district needs.”
Dr. Pollio began his career with JCPS in 1997 as a social studies teacher at Shawnee High School. He went on to serve as a teacher and assistant principal at Waggener High School before taking the helm as principal of Jeffersontown High School from 2007-2015. Before taking the role of acting superintendent, Dr. Pollio was the principal of Doss High School. He took a leave of absence from that position while he served the district as acting superintendent.
“The board made a bold decision when it chose me for this position eight months ago,” Dr. Pollio said. “I plan to bring the same passion, energy and focus to work every day to create positive learning environments at all of our schools where teachers can teach and students can learn. This job is not just professional, it’s personal. For more than 20 years, I’ve dedicated my career to serving the students of JCPS and my daughter is a student in this district. Now is the time for our employees, our staff and this community to stand up and support JCPS and bring about positive change for students by working together.”
Dr. Pollio received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University. He earned his doctorate from the University of Louisville in 2012.
During his time as acting superintendent, Dr. Pollio has focused on improving climate and culture, improving organizational coherence and increasing student achievement. He’s returned budget cuts to schools, funded deeper learning priorities, opened the JCPS West Louisville Satellite Office, created an initiative to track K-12 student learning and implemented corrective action plans for issues found during previous administrations.
Dr. Pollio will serve as the sixth superintendent of JCPS since merger. The terms of Dr. Pollio’s contract are still being negotiated.
Superintendent Search Process
The Jefferson County Board of Education launched a search for superintendent after the resignation of Dr. Donna Hargens, which was effective June 30, 2017.
Dr. Marty Pollio was named acting superintendent while the board searched for a permanent replacement. The board advertised the search nationally and engaged a local firm to receive community feedback and input. There were nine applications for the position, and the board named two finalists in January. The two finalists participated in four community forums.
More information about the search is available here.
Photo: JCPS
Ballard High School’s The Collage was named the best student-produced literary magazine in Kentucky, earning a ‘Superior’ rating and a nomination for the Highest Award by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The recognition is the second time in three years that the publication has taken the top ranking by NCTE’s Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines (PRESLM), and makes The Collage the highest awarded literary magazine in Jefferson County Public Schools.
Nationally, only 26 student publications, out of 372 entries, were named Highest Award recipients.
PRESLM recognizes students, teachers and schools for producing excellent literary magazines. The program aims to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines and seek excellence in writing and schoolwide participation in production.
Ballard’s in-house literary magazine has been produced and published by students, for students, since 1970, and showcases student written and artistic work in all genres, themes and grades. The magazine is a project-based learning collaboration between the creative writing classes of Michelle Livesay and the digital publishing classes of Gary Crume with student fine art submissions from Ballard art teachers Patty Bradford, Lindsey Dobson, Emily Forrester, Marcia Hageman and Sarah Kaiman.
A limited number of copies of the award-winning 2017 edition are available by contacting michelle.livesay@jefferson.kyschools.us or gary.crume@jefferson.kyshools.us.
Portland Elementary School has received a $1,300 award from VSA Kentucky to support students’ social-emotional development through the arts.
Under the award, Letita Usher, a VSA teaching artist, will visit Portland as an artist-in-residence, teaching students drama techniques and storytelling skills. In addition, she will collaborate with the school’s art and ECE teachers to create visual art pieces, connect students to literature, and create a drama that encompasses the work.
“We are inspired by the opportunity to engage our highest-need students in this deeper learning experience that allows them to explore literacy and the arts through multiple modalities,” said Portland Principal Angela Hosch.
VSA Kentucky is a non-profit organization that provides opportunities in the arts for children and adults with disabilities.
Holly Hawkins, a fifth-grade teacher at Tully 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 Feb. 6 during a ceremony at the school.
“Throughout her tenure at Tully, Holly has designed an exemplary classroom that has met with great success,” said Principal Linda Dauenhauer. “You cannot walk into her classroom without instantly becoming motivated yourself. She motivates students because of her high energy and belief that all students can learn.”
“Mrs. Hawkins encourages her students to work to their highest potential and to always put forth their best effort,” said Missy Schutte, a fellow teacher at Tully. “I witness her on a regular basis trying to pull out the very best in every student. She inspires them to become better by persevering and not giving up – valuable life skills.”
Hawkins dedicates time to her students and school community outside the classroom as well, serving on the School-Based Decision Making Council as well as numerous other committees, and organizes many of the school’s instructional nights, student council activities and extracurricular events. She also serves as assistant coach for both the cross country and track teams.
As part of LG&E and KU’s commitment to supporting education across the communities it serves, Hawkins and other ExCEL Award-winning teachers each receive a $1,000 instructional grant from the company.