The 99re视频精品 Department of Education鈥檚 (KDE鈥檚) Parents Advisory Council (PAC) expressed appreciation and support for KDE鈥檚 commitment to providing schools with the resources needed to create a more equitable and inclusive environment.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in the business to ensure our students have every opportunity to be successful,鈥� said Thomas Woods-Tucker, KDE鈥檚 Chief Equity Officer and deputy commissioner in the Office of Teaching and Learning.
During the , Woods-Tucker discussed the importance of 99re视频精品 schools being safe havens for all students, and explained KDE鈥檚 commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In July 2020, the 99re视频精品 Board of Education (KBE) affirmed that commitment in a resolution stating that every student deserves equitable access to excellent educators, and education leaders must embrace diversity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take the entire village to ensure that our students are successful today and going forward,鈥� said Woods-Tucker.
PAC member Rhonda Logsdon, representing the 99re视频精品 Special Parent Involvement Network, expressed her appreciation for KDE鈥檚 strategic plan to improve equity and inclusion. 鈥淭his is what鈥檚 going to be critical, and I am so grateful I am hearing this in multiple arenas, because our children cannot wait,鈥� said Logsdon.
Damien Sweeney, program coordinator for comprehensive school counseling in KDE鈥檚 Office of Teaching and Learning, discussed the need to build awareness that societal issues that impact communities also impact schools.
鈥淥ur success in addressing these issues is directly related to our ability to collaborate and work together as a community,鈥� Sweeney said.
鈥淚 deeply appreciate this work,鈥� said Judith Bradley, representing Jack Be Nimble, a special education advocacy nonprofit. Bradley also expressed support for KDE鈥檚 expanded definition of equity.
鈥淢y experience has been repeatedly that disability in particular gets left out of the conversation when it comes to equity,鈥� Bradley said. 鈥淭he intersection with race in particular is really profound 鈥� and concerning.鈥�
Woods-Tucker said schools and communities should continue to engage in conversations about racial trauma and implicit bias. can be used to help with these conversations.
KDE is creating an 鈥渆quity tool kit鈥� that will provide districts and schools with resources on unconscious bias training and to help educators choose inclusive curricula.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really up to us to examine our privilege and implicit biases,鈥� said Woods-Tucker. 鈥淚t will take a lot of determination, and it will take a willingness to improve.鈥�
Proposed Changes to 701 KAR 5:100
Kelly Foster, associate commissioner in KDE鈥檚 Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, presented to the council a proposed amendment to 701 KAR 5:100, a regulation that contains guidelines for alternative models for school-based decision making (SBDM).
The amendment includes creating a timeline for the submission of an alternative model application, creating a 30-day timeline for the referral of applications to the 99re视频精品 Board of Education, and requiring the KBE to review applications at its meeting following the 30-day referral window.
鈥淲e are trying to streamline two regulations into one, as well as make it easier for the local schools if they want to add members to their site-based [councils] that don鈥檛 interfere with what is in the statute,鈥� said Foster.
Training Opportunities
Deborah Sauber, branch manager in KDE鈥檚 Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, joined the council to present several training opportunities by KDE鈥檚 Safe and Supportive Schools Branch.
The Safe and Supportive Schools Branch is responsible for a variety of initiatives, including school safety and school mental health and wellness. The branch addresses these initiatives through a variety of training and technical assistance, such as social and emotional learning (SEL).
Sauber explained there are many benefits to SEL. 鈥淭eachers who possess social and emotional competencies are more likely to teach and model those competencies to their students,鈥� Sauber said.
In addition to SEL, the Safe and Supportive Schools Branch also provides trainings on trauma-informed care, including:
- Mindfulness practices
- Sources of Strength
- Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Trauma-informed practices for educators
- Resilience strategies for educators
- Positive behavioral interventions and support/interconnected systems framework
- Youth mental health first aid
For more information on youth mental health first aid or the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, contact Sauber at Deborah.sauber@education.ky.gov. For more information on Sources of Strength, contact Cathy Prothro at cathy.prothro@ky.gov. For information on all other training sessions, contact Regina Dawson at regina.dawson@education.ky.gov.
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