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Dear Colleagues,
Our hearts go out to the schools, students and communities impacted by the devastating flooding across the Commonwealth.
It seems like all too often over the past few years we have seen severe weather events – such as tornadoes, flooding and even hurricane winds – impacting our communities. Kentucky’s schools are often the glue in their communities, so when those buildings are damaged or inaccessible, it has a real impact on everyone.
We at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) wish everyone safety and strength during this difficult time. We also want to reaffirm our commitment to serving our districts and helping you get the resources you need, especially during emergencies like these.
If you experience any damage due to the flooding, please reach out to KDE Office of Finance and Operations Associate Commissioner Matt Ross and we will do our best to help address any problems.
SEEK Funding
Last week, Gov. Andy Beshear announced his approval of our written request to increase the 2024-2025 Support Educational Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) general fund appropriation to address the $14.7 million shortfall in statutorily required funding.
On behalf of Kentucky’s public schools, we express our sincere appreciation to Gov. Beshear. His decision to increase the SEEK appropriation, based on the language in House Bill (HB) 6, will help keep our schools from having to make cuts in their current budgets to make up for this $14.7 million shortfall We also want to say thank you to the legislature, which included the language in HB 6 that gave KDE the opportunity to make this request to benefit all of our schools.
KDE will continue to collaborate with our partners in the General Assembly for potential future funding for $26 million for items conditioned on the availability of funds. We appreciate our partnerships that are being built with the members of the General Assembly, and we look forward to finding a solution.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Resources for Schools/Districts Providing Support to Families Affected by Recent Floods
In addition to the Governor’s Flood Resources webpage, the Kentucky Department of Education has compiled resources that schools can use to provide supports to students, families and staff who have experienced the recent flooding in our state.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has a trauma-informed toolkit to guide universal supports for students and staff as well as more intensive supports, if needed. A link to the trauma-informed toolkit can be found on the School Safety and Resiliency Act webpage. KDE’s School Crisis and Emergency Response/Recovery page has a variety of resource focused on how schools can help individuals and the community recover from disaster events.
Resources linked below are specific to flooding and can be used by schools or other agencies to support children following the recent flooding. These resources can be used in conjunction with existing emergency operations and trauma-informed plans that are in place at the local level.
Other Resources:
KBE Seeking Applicants for KHSAA Board of Control At-large Position
The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE), through the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), is seeking an individual to serve on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s (KHSAA’s) Board of Control to fill an at-large position that will become vacant on June 30, 2025. The individual currently holding the position is eligible for reappointment.
The KHSAA is the KBE’s designee to manage statewide interscholastic athletic programs.
The Board of Control supervises KHSAA, establishes staff salaries, sets goals for the association, and has the authority to set rules and review proposed changes to the KHSAA constitution and bylaws. Regular attendance at KHSAA Board of Control meetings is a requirement of the position. The KBE appointed Board of Control member must not be a current employee of a Kentucky public school district.
All interested individuals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, a resume and a minimum of two written letters of recommendation to the Kentucky Department of Education. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals with whom the applicant has an established professional or personal relationship and has first-hand knowledge of the applicant’s skills and dispositions.
The deadline for applications is March 30, 2025. Materials should be mailed to Todd Allen, General Counsel, Kentucky Department of Education, 300 Sower Blvd., Frankfort, KY 40601, or emailed to Todd Allen.
The Kentucky Board of Education will review applications for the KHSAA Board of Control at-large position and anticipates appointment at its June 2025 meeting.
Register Now for the March 2025 Leadership Meetings
In order to provide vibrant learning environments for all students, it is important for schools and districts to translate the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) into a guaranteed and viable curriculum.
The regional educational cooperatives, in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), will host in-person meetings in March for district and school leaders to explore new resources available to support effective implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) with an emphasis on Tier 1 curriculum anchored in a high-quality instructional resource (HQIR).
The purpose of the meeting is to provide updates on the following:
- New TNTP Report - “The Opportunity Makers” (2024)
- KDE resources to support MTSS and Trajectory-Changing Practices
- Intellectual Preparation Guidance Document
- Integrating Deeper Learning and HQIR to Strengthen Tier 1 Instruction Modules
- Academic Standards Review Process
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Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Reading and Writing, Social Studies and Mathematics
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KAS for Visual and Performing Arts professional learning resources
Dates and Locations
Click on the date to learn more and register for the live, in-person full day session of your choice.
- March 6: London, Southeast/South-Central Cooperative, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
- March 10: Cold Spring, Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
- March 13: Hazard, Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
- March 14: Ashland, Kentucky Educational Development Corporation, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
- March 18: Shelbyville, Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
- March 21: Bowling Green, Green River Educational Cooperative, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT
- March 25: Lexington, Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
- March 28: Eddyville, Western Kentucky Educational Cooperative, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT
Participants will need to bring a personal device to access documents from the digital meeting folder.
Save the Date: Persistence to Graduation Summit 2025
Mark your calendars to attend the annual Persistence to Graduation Summit.
Hosted by the Kentucky Department of Education Division of Student Success, the summit will be held June 12-13, 2025, at the Hilton in downtown Lexington. This year’s theme will be focused on Elevating Student Voice and we will open a call for proposals soon. Presentations need to be 75 minutes and priority will be for presentations that incorporate student voice.
During this two-day event, superintendents, district level personnel, school administrators, school counselors, educators, family resource and youth services center coordinators, school mental health and 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 content will include:
- Student transition and re-engagement strategies;
- Alternative education programming;
- Well-rounded educational opportunities;
- Safe and supportive learning environments; and
- Effective use of education technology.
For more information contact Lalah Brewer.
Regional Sessions on Educator Apprenticeships
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is hosting three regional sessions on educator apprenticeships in March.
Discover how apprenticeships are being utilized to create a sustainable pipeline of new K-12 and pre-school educators! Learn from districts, community colleges and education preparation providers on how they created partnerships to implement their successful models.
There will also be breakout sessions on how Teaching and Learning and Early Childhood Education programs play an important role in this initiative. Information will also be provided regarding funding opportunities.
The sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the following dates and locations:
- March 10: Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, Springfield campus
- March 11: Hopkinsville Community and Technical College
- March 13: Big Sandy Community and Technical College
Due to space constraints, we ask that you limit registration to two attendees per organization. Learn more and find links to register by visiting the Regional Sessions on Educator Apprenticeships flyer.
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