N. Ky. Advocate THANKS TO OUR PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSOR Joins Prichard Staff Brigitte Blom Ramsey of Falmouth joined the Prichard Committee staff in May as associate executive director. She previ- ously served as director of strategic resour- ces and public policy at the United Way Perspectives of Greater Cincin- nati and co-chaired VOLUME 25 | FALL 2014 the Northern Ken- tucky Education Action Team. Students’ Input Elevating Policy Issues Ramsey is a Voice Team Growing, Studying Postsecondary Transitions member of Ken- The Prichard Committee’s Student Voice Team Beshear for backing of education funding increases. tucky’s Early Child- ended its pilot year strong: preparing to call attention With no formal recruitment effort, the group hood Advisory to ways state policymakers and education leaders can expanded beyond its initial central Kentucky mem- Council and was Ramsey improve transitions after high school. bership and now includes 30 middle and high school appointed in 2008 by Gov. Steve Beshear to Among a spate of activities last year, the group students with members from Elizabethtown and Jef- the State Board of Education. She resigned mobilized other students in a statewide social media ferson, Green and Knox counties. that position upon joining the Prichard staff. campaign to push for increased education funding in One of the most ambitious undertakings, howev- “Members of the Prichard Committee the state’s 2015-16 budget and made the featured pre- er, is still in the works, as members develop a strategy believe that engaging, educating and em- sentation at an event in Frankfort to hail Gov. Steve See VOICE, Page 8 powering citizens makes a difference, and See RAMSEY, Page 5 31 Years of Action, Answers, Progress Lexington, Lexington, KY Lexington, Lexington, 40507 KY Permit No. 33 No. Permit 271 W. Short St., Suite 202 Suite St., Short W. 271 PAID U.S. POSTAGE U.S. for Academic Excellence Academic for ORGANIZATION NON-PROFIT Prichard Committee Prichard who we are The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, non-profit, nonpartisan group of volunteers who have worked since 1983 to improve education. The group provides information and materials to ed- ucators, policymakers and citizens across the state on a variety of student Prichard Committee Associate Executive Director Cindy Heine, center, speaks achievement and public school issues. The committee is not affiliated with with member Bonnie Freeman of Louisville and Prichard Committee vice-chair Kentucky state government. It is named for the late Edward F. Prichard Jr., Franklin Jelsma, also of Louisville, left, at a reception in her honor in Lexington a lawyer from Paris, who in 1980 led a citizens’ committee on improving in July. Heine retired after 25 years on staff. She offers thoughts on her tenure Kentucky’s universities. and issues facing Kentucky schools in an interview on Page 4. THANKS TO OUR GOLD LEVEL SPONSOR VOLUME 25 Prichard Committee 2 FALL 2014 Perspectives for Academic Excellence v i e w p o i n t Jobs Report Shows Limits Staying in Touch Across a Diverse State Facing Non-College-Bound Kentucky high school graduates who enter the Kentucky is a diverse state. Depending example, most of the state members are not having workforce face limited options and low wages, ac- on where you are, the prevailing news, conversations about charter schools, with the excep- cording to a July report from the Kentucky Center for excursions, and accents may rest square- tion of Lexington and Louisville where this is a hot Education and Workforce Statistics. ly in West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee or issue, but most of our members are asking for more Members of the Class of 2012 who opted for Indiana. Some Kentuckians regularly drive information about the Common Core, known here full-time work earned an average of $7,567 in their east through the Cumberland Gap to work as the Kentucky Core Academic Standards. first year of employment, only rising to $11,511 three in Virginia. Others cross bridges over the I would like to thank those able to attend and years after graduation. Ohio and Mississippi Rivers near Cairo, Ill., extend a special thanks to those who served as hosts. “Even after three years, only a little more than headed west to a job in Missouri. Overall, we’ve learned that regional meetings once one out of three who were employed were earning The Prichard Committee has always a year are beneficial to both our members and staff. as much as a person who works full-time at a mini- brought together voices of citizens around At this time, we are considering having one big um wage job,” the report found. “The idea of leaving a common concern, but statewide meetings annual meeting and a set of regional meetings each high school for a high-paying job in the factory or in can work against a strong awareness of year. Eastern Kentucky in a mine is the exception and not thinking Based on the the rule.” and action discussions and feed- Different The report found that females earn about one- across a back we received, we parts of our third less than male grads who enter the workforce, wide state. sent out follow-up state have and that African-American grads earned about 30 The information. We are percent less than their white peers. Prichard also in the process of different The report found that recent grads were most Commit- drafting a white paper interests and likely to land jobs in the state’s four lowest-paying tee staff on charter schools industries. Additionally, attendance in high school and board that we will share issues, from also showed a connection with later income — decided to with members prior charter schools graduates with 20 or more unexcused absences in hold seven to our November an- to Common their senior year earned up to 55 percent less than regional nual meeting where those with 5 or fewer unexcused absences. meetings it will be a topic for Core standards. The report “illustrates what we know to be true this spring discussion. Student in the current economy,” said a statement from the By Stu Silberman instead of intern Danny Miller Prichard Committee. “More than ever, students Executive Director one larger researched charters must be prepared for college and career at high lev- meeting, and wrote the paper els.” giving us a chance to talk with and listen to this summer. Also prior to the November meeting, The report, “No College = Low Wages,” is avail- our members in smaller group settings. It we will convene a study group of our members that able at kentuckyp20.ky.gov. was also a good opportunity for new staff will review our work and provide initial feedback. members to meet our members. We look forward to receiving input and feedback We were able to have face-to-face from across Kentucky. As an advocacy group, we conversations in small groups about the exist to build informed support for quality teaching r e a c h i n g u s specific needs of each region, and many and learning, so please feel free to contact us at any folks participated who have not been able time to let us know how we can be helpful to you in by mail — 271 W. Short St., Suite 202 Lexington, KY 40507 to do so in the past. We talked about a your local communities. by phone — (859) 233-9849 variety of issues including Common Core State action rests on local awareness and online — www.prichardcommittee.org standards, charter schools and workforce engagement. development. The Prichard Committee has built its reputation Perspectives is published regularly throughout We found that different parts of our and record on work that connects the two. Our the year as both a printed and an e-mail newsletter. state have different interests and issues but regional meetings were a great reminder of that Contact us to be added to our mailing lists or to there is striking commonality as well. For power and potential. suggest others we might add. Prichard Committee VOLUME 25 for Academic Excellence Perspectives FALL 2014 3 Prichard Member Hinkle Teachers Network at Let’sTALK Conference Appointed to State Board Gov. Steve Beshear appointed Samuel D. Hinkle, IV, of Shelbyville to the State Board of Education in July. A lawyer, Hinkle is a member of the Prichard Committee. Hinkle is a past four-term member and chair of the Shelby County school board. Beshear also appointed retired administrative judge Debra L. Cook of Corbin to the state board. She served on the Corbin school board for 16 years. The two join nine other members appointed by the governor. Two other state board members, Mary Gwen Wheeler of Louisville and Roger L. Mar- cum of Bardstown, the state board’s chairman, are also members of the Prichard Committee. Marcum and Wheeler were re-appointed to new four-year terms by Beshear this summer. Hinkle, Marcum and Wheeler were appointed to seats on the board that About 300 educators attended the second Let’s TALK: Conversations About Effective Teaching and represent geographic areas of the state. They each Learning conference in Louisville in June. Sessions focused on a range of teaching, assessment and now fill terms that extend to 2018. evaluation issues. The meeting was sponsored by the Kentucky Education Association, the state edu- The state board oversees action by the state ed- cation department, the Prichard Committee and the Fund for Transforming Education in Kentucky. ucation department. It develops and adopts regula- Keynote speakers included Sharon Porter Robinson, above right, president of the American Associa- tions that govern 173 school districts across Ken- tion of Colleges of Teacher Education, and Holly Bloodworth of Murray, bottom right, 2014 Kentucky tucky.