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Dear Colleagues:
The Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council will be meeting tomorrow. It truly is one of my favorite advisory councils that I am involved in. I think taking the time to listen to students is critical for all of us, since the jobs we do every day impact them most of all.
Tomorrow, the council will begin discussing possible new projects. The projects they take on – which are all student led – are often weighty and have the potential to have a significant impact on students in the Commonwealth.
Back in January, the Student Advisory Council members presented a report about their recommendation to increase school safety. In 2021, they partnered with Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman to conduct a series of mental health roundtables across the state, which led them to making a presentation before the Interim Joint Committee on Education.
The meeting begins at 9 a.m. ET and you can watch it live on the KDE Media Portal.
We also are accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council (CSAC) until March 9. The appointment to the council is for one service year, renewable for consecutive appointments if the student meets eligibility requirements. Positions are open to students currently in grades 9, 10 or 11 in one of Kentucky’s public high schools.
Students selected to serve on the council represent each of Kentucky’s Supreme Court districts. The council also includes at least one student from the Kentucky School for the Blind and the Kentucky School for the Deaf, as well as a student enrolled in a career and technical education pathway. Additional details are available on the CSAC website.
And one more note for today – I’m looking for new student artwork to be displayed in the commissioner’s office at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). For the past several years, we’ve been proudly displaying all kinds of student artwork, from paintings to carvings to pottery. It is one of the first things visitors see as they come into the office. Currently, we have several pieces from schools in Jefferson County.
If you would be interested in showcasing your students’ work at KDE, please email Chief Communications Officer Toni Konz Tatman. We would like to have the new artwork up by the end of the school year.
Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Commissioner and Chief Learner
HEPA Units Available for K-12 Schools
The Kentucky Department for Public Health is offering a limited number of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration units for use in K-12 schools.
The units are being supplied by federal grant funds and will be provided at no cost to the schools. Four replacement filters to sustain approximately two years of use also will be supplied with the units. These units are portable, free-standing, plug-in units (120V) that require no installation and minor maintenance.
Requests may include units for district-owned facilities that house area technology centers.
Units will be distributed in the order requests are received until quantities are depleted. Pre-order forms for the HEPA filtration units must be completed no later than April 30 and will be shipped 30-90 days after the order is received.
For any questions regarding this program, please contact KDPHHEPA@ky.gov.
Schools Encouraged to Submit Best Practices
The Kentucky Department of Education’s Best Practices and Sustainability website is open for submission of best practices from schools and districts.
The Best Practice website is designed to serve as a clearinghouse to promote practices that motivate, engage and provide measurable results in student learning, achievement and school/district processes. Any aspect of a school system that can impact student outcomes through improved instruction or operations can be submitted as a best practice.
Best practices should be submitted to the Best Practices database by May 1 to be considered for acknowledgement at the Continuous Improvement Summit, scheduled for Sept. 25-26. For more information, email Natasha Stein.
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