Growing up in a hollow (pronounced “holler”) in southeastern Kentucky, I never considered if I I was getting equitable access to effective, experienced, and diverse educators. In fact, most of my teachers were a lot like me: white, low/middle class, hillbillies. When I came to Eastern Kentucky University for my undergraduate studies, my exposure to a more diverse pool of…
Month: March 2019
In the Wake of Christchurch, Sanaa Kahloon Refuses to Let Hatred Win
After the recent mass shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, new attention has been called to the fears that Muslims experience every day. Just ask Sanaa Kahloon, a first-generation Pakistani-American from Lexington. Sanaa points out that while the Christchurch shooting was gutting, persecution isn’t exactly new to the Muslim community. For her, no Friday prayer passes without a…
Don’t Like Who’s on the School Board Ballot? Run.
With headlines dominated by news of 2020 presidential candidates, it’s easy to forget that there are elections happening across the country in 2019. But in fact, 47 states will hold elections this year for 85,000 different positions from governor to city council. To take one example: school board. Thirty nine states have school board elections in 2019, electing leaders for…
Students Need Deep Exposure To Content Knowledge. This New Project Can Help.
Some of the best teaching advice I ever received came from an undergrad professor I really admired. “Don’t try to teach the standards,” she instructed me. “Teach to the standards.” Hidden within that pearl of advice was an important caveat. State standards only tell us what students should know and be able to do at each grade level, but they…
Gov. Matt Bevin Is Big Mad About Teacher ‘Sickouts’
He does not like them here or there, he does not like them anywhere. But alas, this one isn’t about green eggs and ham. If you couldn’t tell, the “he” that I’m talking about is none other than Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. And if you’ve spent any time at all in the Bluegrass State, you’ll know all about his distaste…
Spilling The Tea With Miss Kentucky Katie Bouchard
Hey folks, for those of you new to the site, this is little Q&A session we like to call “Spilling the Tea.” Here with us this week is reigning Miss Kentucky Katie Bouchard of Owensboro, whose platform is “Being the Voice For Kentucky’s Children.” You can also check out our other Q&As with KYREADS founder Allison Slone and Kentucky Teacher…
Kentucky Third-Graders Would Have Been Held Back Under This Proposal. Here’s What Changed.
Last week, Kentucky found itself playing a high-stakes game of “Would You Rather?” But this time, it affected a much different demographic than we’re used to: third-graders. Following the lead of states like Ohio, Indiana, and Florida, Kentucky considered adopting a real catch-22 of a policy that would require struggling third-graders to be held back for failing an end-of-the-year reading…
JCPS Is Closed Again. What Does Today’s ‘Sickout’ Mean for Kentucky Teachers?
Closed for the second time in seven days, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is very, very sick. Last week, they were sick of lawmakers trying to restructure the state’s pension board. Today, they’re sick of the legislature’s proposed plan for scholarship tax credits, which would allow donors to contribute to a scholarship fund for low-income students seeking private school enrollment. …