 actually had final exams during the last week of school –and unlike TODAY’s “finals” — they were CUMULATIVE exams and the COUNTED (big time) on the final grade in every class. My son tells me that his “final exams” — the few that are being given, are over new material or, per the teachers “don’t count unless everyone does poorly” — yeah, that one left me scratching my head too. Final exams people. It’s pretty self-evident, IMHO.
HB 646 – Wellness and Physical Activity Program – Cost 2.5 million. This is going to be, what? Education on how we should get regular physical activity? Why not just HAVE regular physical activity as a part of the morning regimen at school? Why study it more? What are we going to do, use more VIDEOS to teach healthy lifestyles? And what does this actually DO? Look it up. It creates another commission. Lovely, and effective, I’m sure. Trickle down, theory, anyone? Yeah, me neither.
I’ll just leave my thoughts on the Teacher Pay Protection bill silent. I won’t mention my feelings about a society in a condition that this even occurs to legislators. For now, I’m pushing away from the computer and going on a hike. For now, I’m going to try to push the sorry state of Kentucky Education and the equally sorry situation wherein Kentucky Politicians continue to chase their tail (or get indicted) out of my mind. Right now, I’ll take a deep breath.
And can someone out there tell me, again, how it’s NOT all about the money? Anyone??
This session, we moved forward on a number of education issues that will help ensure that our children – no doubt Kentucky’s most precious natural resource – receive a quality education that prepares them to not only enter the job market, but to conquer it.
As I have said in previous columns, the most important part of educating our students is ensuring that we have qualified personnel in our classrooms and schools. However, although we have some of the finest educators in the nation, the General Assembly needed to do more to ensure they are adequately compensated. By providing salaries that are competitive with neighboring states, we can attract new faces to our classrooms while keeping the educators we have now.
This session we were able to include a much awaited teacher pay increase in the budget. Specifically, the budget includes a 2 percent pay raise for teachers in this upcoming fiscal year and an additional $3,000 increase in 2007-08. Classified employees will also receive a pay raise of 2 percent during 2006-2007 and 5 percent the next year.
The budget also includes full funding for the Read to Achieve Program, a program aimed at improving Kentucky’s literacy rates. A $50 million bond issue was included within the two-year spending plan to be used towards putting more computers in the hands of public school students. We also moved to reopen the KAPT (Kentucky Affordable Prepaid Tuition) program for new enrollment this fall. KAPT provides parents, family members and those interested in a child’s future to contribute to a college account at today’s rates, wagering on future tuition increases.
HB 79 – Retirement Contributions for Certified Employees called to active duty. Requires a local board of education to grant a leave of absence to a certified employee who is a member of a state National Guard or a Reserve component ordered to active military duty by the President of the. The local boards of education are also required to pay the employee’s retirement contribution for the period of active military duty.
SB 51 – Teacher Pay Protection. This legislation will require any teacher or school employee who is assaulted while at work to continue receiving pay and benefits for up to 100 days after the assault. A doctor’s statement will be required as proof that the teacher or employee cannot return to work for them to receive paid leave offered under SB 51.
SB 130 – Student testing. Under the provisions of SB 130, the state would pay for and require all high school juniors to take the ACT, commonly required as a college entrance exam, under Senate Bill 130. The measure would allow sophomores, juniors and seniors to take the WorkKeys test, geared toward students who do not plan to attend college. Students’ testing fees would be paid by the Department of Education the first time they take the ACT and/or the WorkKeys tests.
HCR 214 – Student Achievement Goals. Directs a study on how to effectively provide assistance to schools not meeting established goals for student achievement to be completed by the Interim Joint Committee on Education by December 1, 2006.
HJR 145 – Civics Education. Requires the Council on Postsecondary Education, the Kentucky Board of Education, Education Professional Standards Board and other P-16 partners to develop strategies and a timeline for improving Kentucky students’ knowledge and understanding of the Constitution of the, and the democratic processes.
HB 341 – Education Technology. Directs the Department of Education to conduct a study to determine costs, benefits, feasibility, and implications of adoption of specifications for statewide education data designed to facilitate the exchange of information among different instructional and administrative software applications at the local, state, and federal levels.
HB 589 – Health Education. Encourages public schools to include age-appropriate education on the risks associated with exposure to ultraviolet rays within the existing health curriculum. House Bill 589 also requires the Kentucky Department of Education to provide instructional resources, including information from national standards and health organizations.
HB 197 – End-of-course examinations. Creates a pilot program in approximately ten schools throughout the state for standardized end-of-course examinations in Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. The pilot program is set to take place during the 2007-2008 public school year.
HB 646 – Governor’s Wellness and Physical Activity Program. HB 646 establishes a health, wellness and fitness program for Kentucky that would promote a healthy lifestyle among our citizens. While the program is not specific to children, younger Kentuckians are a targeted audience as the number of Kentucky children diagnosed with diabetes and lifestyle-related health disorders has increased dramatically. The estimated cost to implement the initiative is $2.5 million.
While I intend to continue updating you on what we accomplished this session, I hope you will not hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional information on our work, to share your thoughts or regarding a state government matter. I can be reached at home or through the toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181.
I wasborn and raised in Denver, Colorado by music teachers. I grew up immersed in music, playing piano, clarinet, bassoon, percussion and handbells for bands and orchestras. When I needed a break from music, I enjoyed reading science fiction; nature, learning to identify all the the wildflowers the Colorado mountains had to offer in the summer. When it came time for college, I wanted to see more of the country and continue to learn about plants, so I moved to Ohio to pursue studies in botany and music. From college, I entered graduate school in Biology and that was where my love of quilting started. Ironically, my studies surrounded cotton fiber development but fairly early on, I realized that the area of research I was in wasn’t for me and I took up quilting. I also met my husband in graduate school, who was instrumental in encouraging me to buy my first sewing machine. When we finished our studies, we moved to California and Arizona, I became a science teacher and we had two boys. We have now returned to Colorado and are both teaching science and raising our boys to be creative as possible.
I love traditional quilting techniques – hand applique, piecing, and quilting; but am constantly pushing myself to try new techniques. I am now branching into machine quilting, art quilting, designing my own quilts and hand-dying fabric. I mull ideas over for a long time and then get started on them, but the biggest thing is that I never stop learning. I search out new techniques because often ideas I’m mulling over are not progressing because I need a different way to make them and once I find the right technique, I’m off and running.
My passion surrounds nature and exploration. I love spending hours in natural areas looking at the amazing diversity around us. I focus on landscapes and plants, but birds, butterflies and dragonflies come a close second. Exploring new areas, learning about new things and sharing what I have learned with others keeps me inspired.RESTAURANT PROFILES
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Serving up an old favorite
Dobro's Stromboli brings back memories
BY NOAH HERTZ
noah@beacononlinenews.com
A local restaurant is filling a Stromboli-sized hole in the hearts of many DeLandites.
Downtown DeLand boasts five Italian restaurants. Plenty more are scattered in and around the city. Nevertheless, when Bellini’s Deli & Restaurant vanished from 111 E. Rich Ave., locals mourned its loss.
Particularly, the loss of the Bellini’s Stromboli.
Longtime Bellini’s owner Scott Groth had sold the restaurant in 2017; new owners kept the doors open on Rich Avenue until January