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Dear Colleagues,
I know many of you are paying close attention to decisions made by the Trump Administration regarding education, including the recent executive order aimed at closing the U.S. Department of Education (USED).
The move to close USED, which Secretary Linda McMahon admits is ultimately subject to congressional action, will obviously mean a lot for our school districts in Kentucky that received $546 million in federal grants this school year. We at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) want to emphasize the role we play supporting our public school districts and providing quality service to help you navigate any number of challenges you may face, including anything that arises from changes at the federal level.
While KDE will need to adapt to handle these changes at USED, it will not change our course. We are committed to the United We Learn vision for Kentucky’s public schools: providing vibrant learning experiences for our students, encouraging innovation – especially around assessment and accountability – and collaborating with our communities. Our commitment to the United We Learn vision is key for continuous improvement and sharing best practices among stakeholders to help Kentucky's students reach their full potential and receive high-quality learning experiences tailored to their needs.
The quality services we provide districts in this mission will continue as well. Like in school districts around the Commonwealth, KDE’s talented professionals are All In to support Kentucky’s students. Like school district budgets, KDE’s budget relies on support provided by Congress through various federal programs. To date, KDE has not experienced any interruption in its weekly request and disbursement of federal funds from USED, save for a process USED changed for the request of remaining COVID-19 relief funding. Of course, all these funds were appropriated to states by Congress. As such, KDE maintains the expectation that USED will timely disburse the funds to Kentucky as requests are submitted.
I along with everyone here at KDE want to assure you our commitment to Kentucky’s public schools, Kentucky’s educators and Kentucky’s students will remain as focused as ever. Together, we will ensure our Commonwealth’s children thrive. Of course, KDE will keep our partners informed as we learn more about changes at USED.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Registration and Call for Proposals Open: Persistence to Graduation Summit 2025
Mark your calendars to attend the annual Persistence to Graduation Summit.
Hosted by the Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE's) Division of Student Success, the summit will be held June 12-13 at the Hilton in downtown Lexington. This year’s theme will be focused on elevating student voice. Those interested in facilitating a session should submit a proposal in the Persistence to Graduation Call for Proposals portal by April 2.
KDE strongly encourages proposals that incorporate student voice into the session. 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.
Kentucky Department of Education 2025 Customer Survey
Each year, we at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) like to take time to reflect on how we are doing as a service and support agency.
In January, we ran a pulse check survey in the footer of every email from a KDE staff member. Two questions were asked and we are thrilled with the final results after three months of running the survey:
- How satisfied are you with the support you received today: 96% Satisfied/Very Satisfied
- The KDE staff member was courteous and professional: 94% Agree/Strongly Agree
In order to provide us with greater details, please take 5-10 minutes to complete this year’s Customer Survey. We would also appreciate it if you share this survey with members of your staff who work with KDE. This survey will close at the end of business on March 31.
If you have any questions, please contact KDE Strategic Data Analyst Abby Jacob.
Applications are Open for Kentucky Summer Boost: Reading and Mathematics Program
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Office of Teaching and Learning is accepting applications for this year’s Summer Boost: Reading and Mathematics Program, a partnership between KDE and the Summer Food Service Program.
Summer Boost will promote family engagement in reading and math by giving away free books and fun items, such as bracelets, bookmarks and book bags, intended to motivate and remind families to read every day.
Each of the participating districts will receive high-interest books for grades K-12 to distribute at their meal sites.
Along with the books to give away, the selected districts will receive, at no cost, digital math games for students to play, user-friendly training on how to use the materials to engage students and families, ideas to share with parents and caregivers to promote literacy and numeracy in everyday life, and an opportunity for a guest reader to visit the school and read to students.
To be considered for the Summer Boost Program, a district must have completed an online application to confirm interest. Districts that want to participate should complete the form no later than March 28 at the 2025 Summer Boost: Reading and Mathematics Program Application. For more information, contact Danielle Ward.
Families interested in having their child participate should reach out to their local Summer Food Service Department for more information about meal service sites within their district.
Learn more about the program and find application information on the Summer Boost flyer.
Call for Vendors to Join the Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference
The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Division of Early Literacy has an opportunity for vendors to participate in the upcoming Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference, scheduled to take place on June 13 at The Galt House in Louisville.
For this event focused on promoting literacy and educational excellence, KDE is seeking vendors whose products and services align with our mission to improve reading outcomes throughout our state.
The Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference provides a platform for vendors to showcase their offerings to a diverse audience of educators and administrators. This is an opportunity to connect with education professionals, demonstrate the value of your products/services and contribute to the advancement of literacy initiatives in Kentucky.
KDE welcomes vendor applications offering a wide range of products and services, including but not limited to:
- Educational materials and resources;
- Technology solutions for literacy enhancement;
- Books, literature and reading aids;
- Learning tools and aids for different age groups; and
- Community partner services related to literacy and education.
If your organization shares our passion for promoting literacy and educational success, we invite you to apply to become a vendor at the Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference. The cost will be $500 per table. Showcase your products and services, engage with attendees and be a part of this impactful event.
To apply, please visit and complete the Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference vendor application by 4 p.m. ET on March 28. The selection committee will review all applications and notify selected vendors by the end of April.
Do not miss this opportunity to be a part of the annual Kentucky Reads to Succeed Conference and contribute to the collective mission of fostering a culture of reading and learning in Kentucky.
Vendors will be selected based on how well they:
- Describe alignment of the vendor’s products/services with the conference mission and objectives;
- Describe relevance of the vendor’s offerings to the needs and interests of conference attendees;
- Describe quality, validity, reliability and effectiveness of the vendor’s products/services (based on EdReports rating, NCII rating, etc.);
- Provide reviews or testimonials from previous customers/clients regarding the vendor’s offerings (based on Kentucky District Dashboard reporting);
- Provide evidence of how the vendor’s products/services stand out in the market (inclusion on KDE screener/diagnostic list); and
- The vendor’s pricing structure and affordability of the vendor’s products/services.
Each vendor is responsible for submitting all relevant, factual and correct information with their offer to enable the evaluators to afford each vendor the maximum score based on the available data submitted by the vendor.
Success Stories of Effective Partnerships with Families
During its 2023 term, Family Partnership Council (FPC) members conducted an in-depth analysis of the latest research on family partnerships and collaborated to create the Family Partnership Council’s recommendations to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).
These recommendations would:
- Support every school’s effort to form effective partnerships;
- Promote greater alignment of KDE’s and outside organizations’ family partnership initiatives; and
- Set the goals of the FPC for the next two years.
One of the four recommendations noted that KDE should encourage districts and schools to develop local web pages that include more robust relationship-building and communication metrics regarding meaningful family and community engagement. KDE is seeking to fulfill this recommendation by highlighting districts and schools that are doing family partnerships well and what they are doing with a special focus on innovative practices.
KDE is encouraging all Kentucky districts and schools to utilize the Success Stories of Effective Partnerships with Families form to share their stories of creating trusting relationships with families as partners that are making a positive impact for both students and families. Stories will be shared as a resource and inspiration to other schools across the Commonwealth as we seek innovative and successful ways to partner with our parents, families and our communities.
If you are interested in learning more about those success stories already submitted, please visit the District and School Success Stories website. To learn more about the FPC, please visit the Family Partnership Council website.
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