7Th Annual Alternative Strategies for Educating Students At-Risk INSIDE K E C S a C Speaker
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The ive aborat oll Volumn XVI Issue I C 7th Annual Alternative Strategies for Educating Students At-Risk INSIDE K E C S A C speaker. Ms. Johnson is a former US Navy organized the journalist, Marine Corps officer, high school Director’s Corner 7th Annual teacher, and the author of The New York 2 “A l te r n at i ve Times bestseller Dangerous Minds (originally Achieve3000 Update S t r a t e g i e s titled My Posse Don't Do Homework). An Across Kentucky for Educating incredibly empowering and inspirational S t u d e n t s story, Dangerous Minds was made into a box KECSAC Reading A t - R i s k ” office hit movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer. 5 C o n fe r e n c e , Johnson is the author of numerous books Corner: No Disposable July 22-24, 2008 on education and she continues to work Children at the Perkins to transform the educational system as C o n f e r e n c e an ESL instructor, author, and educational 6 SACSAA Awards Center on consultant. A dynamic speaker, she has SACSAA Election LouAnne Johnson portraying one the campus presented keynote addresses to numerous of the characters from her of Eastern organizations, including the ATE up-coming book, Alternative Ed. K e n t u c k y National Conference, the 7 Calendar University. The conference was designed National School Boards Deadlines to provide KECSAC educators a n d Association, Title I, the Bulletin Board administrators the skills and > continued on page 3 resources to successfully meet the various challenges they face daily with Kentucky’s at-risk student population. LouAnne Johnson opened the general session as the first keynote Dancing Through History Antoinette Crawford-Willis, an artist in came along Catherine Rogers residence with the Kentucky Arts Council, is to apply for a grant Rowan County School District working with the students to help them better through the Kentucky “While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, understand the elements of dance as well as Arts Council and I cannot separate myself from life. I can only learn how dance can evoke an emotional have a dance artist in be joyful and whole. That is why I dance.” response in both the audience as well as residence, everything ~Hans Bos the dancer. Ms. Crawford-Willis, a dance fell into place. educator who has worked extensively Whoever said that history was boring never with schools, is the executive director Over a four week saw Cheryl Jones’ students at the Morehead of Dance! Kentucky, which promotes period, Ms. Crawford- Youth Development Center. One step at a dance education and performance Willis, who became time, these young ladies have learned that across the Commonwealth. known to the students they can, indeed, dance their way through as “Mrs. A” spent history and make it come alive. The idea for the history/arts four hours each day project came about when teaching and motivating Through a Teacher Initiated Program grant Cheryl Jones, Social Studies the students to learn the from the Kentucky Arts Council, the students teacher at MYDC, saw a elements of dance as at the Morehead Youth Development Center need for the students to be able to well as discover their have been learning how to incorporate earn the required high school Arts and own creative talents. history, technology, writing, and dance. Humanities credit. When the opportunity > continued on page 5 Director’s Corner I can see clearly now when the road divided children. I consider myself fortunate to share for us. It was the summer after my eighth my work with many dedicated teachers grade year in middle school, just before and administrators who believe, as Nelson we were to start high school. That was the Mandela noted, that “education is the most summer all three friends decided to drop out powerful tool which you can use to change of school. They were all sixteen by then and the world.” Let’s continue our work together had experienced very little success in school. as we “change the world.” I was devastated by their decision for many reasons, the most important, at the time, was the thought of my lonely journey into high school without my best friends. Now, in hindsight, I am devastated for other reasons. I am devastated because in that very moment they lost a lifetime of potential and entered into a future that, as it turns out, was even bleaker than anticipated. It was certainly a Achieve3000 Pilot Programs turning point in my life; I was only 13 years KECSAC’s Acting Director, Dr. Ronnie Nolan. old at the time and was forced to make new 1. Barren County Day Treatment, Barren County Have you ever thought about how your life friends and forge my own way in an unknown 2. Bluegrass Youth Development, Fayette would be different if you didn’t get a good, environment. Because I met teachers who County 3. Breathitt Regional Juvenile Detention Center, quality education? I do, probably more often challenged me and encouraged me to think beyond what was imaginable, I learned to Breathitt County than I should. Just this past weekend I was 4. Calloway County Day Treatment, Calloway back home, sitting on the front porch swing love school. I credit my mother who always had high expectations and my teachers who County with my mother, and we took a look back at 5. Foothills Academy, Clinton County never let me forget my potential. my childhood friends, boys who grew up on 6. Florence Crittenton, Fayette County the same old dirt road I did. Our lives now 7. Gateway Children’s Services, Montgomery stand in stark contrast to one another. Here Today, we serve students who have so much County I am, serving as Acting Director of one of in common with the child I was. They face a 8. Hillcrest Hall, Montgomery County the most critical education programs in the multitude of barriers, but have a wealth of 9. Hope Hill, Montgomery County 10. Lexington Day Treatment, Fayette County Commonwealth, and my childhood friends untapped potential that I believe could move mountains. I know the power of an education. 11. Morehead Youth Development Center, are still living a life of poverty, with little hope Rowan County of a better future. In fact, two of my three best It is clear in my life what a quality education can do for a person and a community. I have 12. Mayfield Youth Development, Graves County childhood friends are serving time in federal 13. New Pathways for Children, Graves County experienced it first hand. In our work together, corrections programs, and the third still lives 14. Northern Kentucky Youth Development down the road from my old homestead. we have a great opportunity and responsibility Center, Kenton County to change the lives of thousands of Kentucky 15. Sunrise Children’s Center-Morehead Center, Rowan County At the trainings teachers learned how to 16. Sunrise Children’s Services-Woodlawn Achieve3000 administer the student placement test Center, Danville Independent called “LevelSet” which determines the 17. The Life Connection, LaRue County The Achieve3000 pilot is off to a great start. appropriate reading level for each student. 18. Valley School, Daviess County 19. Whitley County Day Treatment, Corbin Thirty-three teachers and administrators Teachers were also pleased to learn the program includes summarization lesson Independent from twenty KECSAC programs were trained 20. Wilkinson Street, Frankfort Independent in four regional locations on how to best use plans and graphic organizers for each lesson, the reading curriculum program to increase a component that makes planning much reading comprehension. TeenBiz3000 and easier for teachers. KidBiz3000, components of the Internet Programs Across Kentucky based Achieve3000 program, deliver The Achieve3000 pilot is funded in part daily reading material to students via an by a $50,000 grant from the Kentucky internal e-mail account. Reading content Department of Education and matching is based on current events in the news funds from KECSAC. and is delivered at each student’s specific Teachers have already begun to use the reading level. Achieve3000 also delivers a * * set of comprehension questions and writing program with their students. Kaye Castlen assignments with the daily reading materials. from Valley School in Daviess County Students receive immediate feedback when reported that her students love the program and are very excited about using it. * answering the questions. * 2 Sensitivity Syndrome, though not yet a > Alternative definitively recognized disorder by medical Ed continued from page 1 authorities, may effect a great number of students and has a simple treatment—the use National Council on Curriculum of colored transparencies or tinted glasses Development, and the European Council of when reading and writing. In the evaluations, International Schools. She has conducted many attendees expressed their admiration workshops for education students at colleges of Ms. Johnson, including comments such across the country, including Stanford and as: “She can see through the fog! Recognizes San Francisco State University. She has also the ‘real’ reason for education,” “Excellent appeared on television on Oprah, CBS Eye presentation. Good information and a to Eye, NBC Weekend Today, Tom Snyder, challenge to teach kids at higher levels,” and and CNN Talkback Live. “She should be an actress in the movies! Very inspirational as she described her students, I saw my own in my classroom!” Dr. Ronnie Nolan, Acting Director of KECSAC, with Jason The keynote Gibson, keynote speaker. speaker for outlets, including CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, the second BET, NPR, Essence Magazine, USA Today, The LouAnn Johnson opening the conference.