Commissioner's Special Tuesday Message

June 1, 2021

Dear Colleagues:

With our last schools getting ready to wrap up another school year, I thought it would be very appropriate today to honor the reason why we all do our jobs – our students.

I have had the honor of working with some tremendous students this year. I’m sure you’ve heard me brag before about the young men and women who sit on the Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council. I had no idea what kind of students I would be working with when I came onboard as commissioner of education last fall. After almost a year of seeing the professionalism and dedication these students exhibit, I have to say that they’ve exceeded every expectation I might have had.

Not only have these students provided the entire Kentucky Department of Education with valuable insight on many of the initiatives going on here at the department, they also played a key role in our recent Commissioner’s Listening Tour. It was our students who led the conversations in our breakout rooms. They gave up many of their evening hours to lead sometimes difficult conversations about what is and isn’t working in education. Time and time again, I heard how great a job our students did at every one of those listening tour stops.

Last week, we announced our newest additions to the student advisory council. The 31-member council represents each of the seven Kentucky Board of Education districts; four at-large student members; one student from the Kentucky School for the Blind, one student from the Kentucky School for the Deaf and student members enrolled in a career and technical education pathway. You can read more about our 18 newest members on Kentucky Teacher.

Another one of our student advisory members, Anastasia Panaretos, is even working with Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer Dr. Thomas Woods-Tucker about equity. Anastasia and several of her fellow advisory council members will be making a presentation about equity and the need for more equitable practices in education to the Kentucky Board of Education at its regular meeting tomorrow. You can watch the meeting and the presentation on the KDE Media Portal.

I have been so impressed with the insight and the seriousness that we see from Kentucky’s students whenever we ask for the input. I want you to know that going forward, this is the type of KDE you can expect to see. We will value and respect the input of a wide variety of Kentucky’s students, since they are the ones that are most impacted by our work.

I am proud to be working alongside of all of you to do what’s best for Kentucky’s students.

Kind regards,

Jason E. Glass, Ed.D.

Commissioner & Chief Learner

Use of ESSER Funds for Construction

The U.S. Department of Education has released additional information related to construction and the use of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds.

The guidance issued on May 26 is intended to answer questions about how funding under the ESSER) Fund – including the American Rescue Plan ESSER (ARP ESSER) program and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund – may be used in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students in pre-K-12 education. The guidance includes permissible construction and renovation projects, as well as the approval process and federal contracting requirements.

Information pertaining to construction is found on pages 19, 20 and 24-26. A copy of the guidance is available here: ESSER and GEER Use of Funds.

Resources for Summer Learning

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) supports family engagement all year long. During the school year, the Standards Family Guides are a resource parents and caregivers may use to initiate conversations with their children regarding what they are learning at school.

Learning can continue when school is not in session. The summer months are an opportunity to further encourage families to enjoy literacy and numeracy experiences together in their own homes. 

To support educators, parents, families and caregivers in encouraging summer learning, KDE is providing resources through the Summer Support webpages to help keep children’s minds active. Available resources include: 

• COVID-19 Guidance for Schools and Districts: Accelerating Student Learning During Summer Learning Programs and Through the Academic Year
• Summer Food Service Program
• Summer Support: School and Public Libraries
• Summer Support: Literacy Resources
• Summer Support: Mathematics Resources
• Summer Support: Virtual Read Aloud Series
• Summer Support: Information and Printables for Parents and Caregivers
• Kentucky Association for Gifted Education: Gifted and Talented resources
• Council of Chief State School Officers 2021 Summer Learning & Enrichment: State Guidance for District and School Leaders

Continuous Improvement Summit Registration Now Open

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Cognia™ invite you to the 2021 Continuous Improvement Summit on Sept. 22-23 at the new Central Bank Convention Center, adjacent to Rupp Arena in Lexington. 

Through a partnership focused on ensuring success for all learners, KDE and Cognia are excited to offer a valuable professional learning experience to meet your needs.

During the Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit, KDE leaders, Kentucky teachers and administrators and Cognia staff will provide up-to-date information to help you effectively lead your district, school or classroom during the 2021-2022 academic year and beyond. Together we’ll learn and explore a wide range of valuable themes you can apply in your everyday practice:

• How to use Continuous Improvement resources to improve learning;
• Improvement planning and key processes for the upcoming school year;
• Accountability system updates from Senate Bill 158;
• Intervention plans focused on the loss of instruction from COVID-19; and
• Non-traditional instruction (NTI) programs, supports and ideas.

Join us to discuss these topics and more. Educators from across the state will connect and network during this two-day event. Do not miss out on the opportunity to learn from experts and peers to enhance your continuous improvement efforts. 

Registration is available on the Cognia website.

ESSA Schoolwide Flexibility and Flexibility for Within District Allocations Due to COVID-19

Section 1114(a)(1)(B) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers flexibility for the operation of schoolwide programs in schools that don’t meet the poverty threshold required in Section 1114(a)(1)(A). This threshold is typically set at 40%. However, flexibility is offered as follows: 

“(B) EXCEPTION. – A school that serves an eligible school attendance area in which less than 40 percent of the children are from low-income families, or a school for which less than 40 percent of the children enrolled in the school are from such families, may operate a schoolwide program under this section if the school receives a waiver from the State educational agency to do so, after taking into account how a schoolwide program will best serve the needs of the students in the school served under this part in improving academic achievement and other factors.”

With approval, the school would have to meet all requirements under ESSA Section 1114.

To request this flexibility, a district must apply on behalf of a school. The request must:

1. Describe that the district requests the flexibility;
2. Address how the schoolwide program will best serve the needs of students in the school in improving academic achievement and other factors;
3. Be written on the district’s letterhead; and
4. Include the signature of the superintendent or his or her designee.

Please note, districts that have been approved for this flexibility in the past do not need to request it again and may continue to operate schoolwide programs in those approved schools as long as they remain eligible for services as outlined in ESSA Section 1113. Those districts must maintain documentation of the original approval.

Flexibility requests and questions may be emailed to David Millanti or mailed to David Millanti, Assistant Director; Division of Consolidated Plans and Audits; 300 Sower Blvd., 5th Floor; Frankfort, KY 40601.

Additionally, districts may benefit from flexibility offered for using data to determine within district allocations. This U.S. Department of Education fact sheet explains the flexibility for using data from the 2019-2020 school year for the purposes of ranking and serving schools and discusses how to use data for determining equitable services. Please contact David Millanti with further questions.

Those receiving this at KSB and KSD, please make sure all employees receive it. Also, ATC principals are asked to forward it to their staffs.

Please send your questions, comments and suggestions on Monday Message to Jennifer Ginn by 10 a.m. Friday to be published in the upcoming week.