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Dear Colleagues,
I want to start of my message to you this week by commemorating Juneteenth, a federal holiday that pays tribute to the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans. While it is a day that has been celebrated in many Black families and communities for generations, it was only recognized three years ago by the United States government as an official federal holiday.
Today is an excellent time to see how far we’ve come as a nation since federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, 158 years ago to tell enslaved Americans they were now free. It also is the perfect opportunity for all of us to recognize how far there is to go.
We must acknowledge the race-based stress and trauma that Black people have endured for years and continue to create spaces for students, families, educators and staff members to heal from past and present trauma. Centering our decisions on the voices of students historically at the margins is something that KDE and the Kentucky Board of Education strongly stand behind. We know that representation matters and it will take intentionality and innovation to make sure all of our students feel represented in our school communities.
Everyone deserves to belong. Juneteenth is a reminder of this fact. Let's use this holiday as a springboard for future conversations regarding our Black students and families. Happy Freedom Day!
Last week, I attended the Prichard Committee’s Groundswell Summit held at Floyd Central High School. This annual event brings together Kentucky educators, families, administrators and other community leaders who are seeking new and innovative ideas for increasing student success.
I really enjoyed listening to all of the different discussions taking place. It is a great example of the kind of work taking place with United We Learn.
A large part of United We Learn is finding ways for schools to genuinely involve entire communities to contribute to student success. The work of family engagement seeks to bring families and schools together in partnership to improve outcomes for students. We know that successful family engagement occurs when families feel empowered to support learning and encouraged to advocate for the needs of their students.
Following the programming on the first day of the Summit, there were bus tours to five locations within Floyd County Schools that highlighted family-school-community partnerships and local laboratories of learning (also called L3s). It was an honor for me to see the students showcase their skills at the Floyd County School of Innovation. You could see the passion each of the students had as they talked about their particular pathway. This is a district that is changing the lives of its students.
Kind regards,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.
Commissioner and Chief Learner
Title I, Part A Carryover Waiver
Section 1127(a) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) places a carryover limitation on Title I, Part A funds. Not more than 15% of the funds allocated to a district for any fiscal year may remain available for obligation for one additional fiscal year.
Districts must ensure at least 85% of school year 2022-2023 (FY23) Title I, Part A funds (project 310J) are obligated for activities that occur no later than Sept. 30, 2023. As stated in Section 1127(c) of ESSA, this carryover limitation does not apply to districts that receive less than $50,000 in Title I, Part A for the fiscal year.
Section 1127(b) of ESSA allows the state to waive this carryover limitation if 1) it determines a district’s request is reasonable and necessary; or 2) supplemental appropriations for this subpart become available. Districts may apply for this waiver once in a three-year period.
Any district wishing to request a carryover waiver for 2022-2023 funds may do so no later than Sept. 30 by submitting an email to David Millanti. The email must:
- State the district requests a waiver of the 15% carryover limitation;
- Contain the reason for the excess carryover; and
- Describe its plan for effectively using carryover funds.
Questions may be directed to David Millanti or your district’s Title I, Part A consultant.
2023 Persistence to Graduation Summit Scheduled for June 28-29
The Kentucky Department of Education’s Division of Student Success is hosting the 2023 Persistence to Graduation Summit June 28-29 at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington.
Superintendents, principals, educators, Family Resource and Youth Services Center coordinators, social service professionals, and community partners from across Kentucky will convene to share information and best practices to support students who may experience challenges to reaching graduation. Engaging and interactive sessions will be led by facilitators from across the state and will include:
- Well-rounded educational opportunities;
- Safe and supportive learning environments;
- Effective use of education technology;
- Student transition and re-engagement strategies; and
- Alternative education programming
The keynote speaker will be Trevor Ragan, who you may recognize from his popular TEDx Talk on overcoming fear or his work around developing a growth mindset.
Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and Effective Instructional Leadership Act (EILA) credit will be available. For more information, email Sarah McIntosh.
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