Feeling blessed to work for our children’s futures

As I think back on the past year, there have been many significant events that have taken place for me. I testified on behalf of Kentucky in front of two congressional education committees; we made huge progress on the science assessment system; I had the opportunity to travel to many different parts of the state, see our state’s educators at work, and meet lots of new people; we started work on the new accountability system; we revamped program reviews; and we saw historic changes in our state’s politics.

In the coming year, while we continue to celebrate Kentucky remaining an education bellwether in the country, we also must realize that we have much work ahead of us. We still have achievement and opportunity gaps, which are our highest priority; we have to complete and begin implementation of our new accountability system; we have to change the narrative in our schools to be less about tests and more about quality instruction; and we have to remember that Kentuckians are known for their commitment to making quality change for our students.  

So, with all of this going on, why do I feel I am so blessed? Simply put, I love my job! I am blessed because I get to work with and for the students of the Commonwealth. They are why we do what we do. So, in this wonderful holiday season that is so focused on our children, I ask that each of you recommit yourselves to making the lives of our students better.

The pictures below show some of my past year, but these kids are our future and we must never forget that.

I wish all of you Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays!

Stephen

Overcoming what seems impossible in education

This past week, I, like many others, mourned the loss and celebrated the life of Kentucky native son, Muhammad Ali. He was an incredible individual, showman and athlete. But even more than that, he was an incredible human being.

When you strip away all of the politics and perceptions that often generated controversy, Ali stood for people who often could not stand for themselves. He was a spectacle, and even after Parkinson’s took away his voice and bravado, he still commanded a presence because of his genuine care for people.

Last week, I heard a quote of Ali’s that I do not remember hearing before. I would like to share it because it is not only a testament to the man that Ali was, but also appropriate for what some people say is the impossible job of public education.

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

Some say we face an impossible task with the implementation of the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and collaboratively developing a new accountability system. Our goal is to create a system that reflects what Kentuckians value in education and moves us past a mindset of competition and compliance with a law, so that we may create an attitude of excellence and improvement in our schools that will benefit of all of our students. Difficult and challenging – yes. Impossible – NO!

I believe, to paraphrase The Greatest, the law gives us the opportunity to “explore the power we have to change” the system. We need greater focus on students, more guidance from research and to change our perceptions of equity and opportunity. Now with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the opportunity to make some of those changes is at hand.

Earlier in June, the United States Department of Education (USED) released draft regulations that would govern the implementation of ESSA. While unlike Ali, I am not a fighter, I do believe in standing up for what is right for kids. That’s why already I have been in contact with USED about several issues that I see as potential problems with the draft regulations for implementing ESSA.

As we move forward, we need everyone to submit their thoughts through this website on proposed ESSA regulations. I’ll be honest with you, the regs are dense, detailed and sometimes their meaning isn’t entirely clear, but we owe it to our kids to plow through, devote the time and understanding, and make sure the regulations reflect the best interest of students.

Also, as the new accountability system develops, we need everyone to continue to provide us with their thoughts on the new system, as you did so well during the Town Hall listening tour. You need to hold us and USED accountable to move past mere compliance with a law to develop a system that will promote an equitable and quality, well-rounded education that will encourage each and every student in Kentucky to reach his or her true potential and graduate from high school ready for college, career and life.

While the task for meeting the needs of our students is huge, as Ali said, nothing is impossible. It is a dare – a dare I embrace. I hope you will all take that dare with me as we push to change an accountability system so that it will be meaningful and bring about genuine school improvement for the benefit of all of Kentucky’s children.

The meaning behind the symbol

Last week, we unveiled the new logo for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) via a news release. I am sure that some of you found this to be expected with new leadership, and while somewhat accurate, I would like to explain the logo a bit more in this blog.  

Branding of any product is important. It shows a recognition of the product or organization and it helps the user identify the brand. For me, however, it is more than that. Perhaps I have read too many Dan Brown books, but I believe that a logo, or symbol of the agency in this case, should carry with it the symbolism of the vision and work of the agency. As such, there are subtle, but significant, symbols within the new KDE logo itself.

Equity, Achievement, Integrity

As I have said before, equity, achievement and integrity are the guiding principles of our work together for the betterment of our students. 

The silhouettes of the three students at the heart of the new logo symbolizes that we want equity for all of our students. The silhouettes are of actual Kentucky students and are meant to represent students of different ages, family incomes, zip codes and abilities. They were added to the logo to show the work of our agency is about all students. The fact that they are at the center of the state, symbolizes that students are at the center of all of our work and decisions.

The students are surrounded by an outline of our beautiful Commonwealth shown in gold. Gold is the color of achievement and we expect every child to have opportunity for achievement. Additionally, as a state, I expect us to be the “gold standard” for the rest of the country. I have been so touched by the commitment of Kentuckians to our students that the line from the Jesse Stuart poem rings true, “If these United States can be called a body, then Kentucky can be called its heart.” In this case, a heart of gold. 

Finally, the ray of light that comes from the upper right corner has a dual symbolism. In this context, it means we will shine a light on our work with our students and our schools to ensure honesty and integrity for every child.  

Our Children, Our Commonwealth

By now, no doubt you have heard me refer to Our Children, Our Commonwealth. This is our motto because I believe we have to focus on working together for the betterment of our students. The circle that surrounds the logo is not simply a circle. While it represents something official and governmental, for me it is the symbol of unity. To ensure unity, we have to move past a compliance model of education to a model of shared responsibility. Our Children means that we all take responsibility for all children; not just the ones in a single classroom, building, district, or even home. Rather, we recognize that while it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a Commonwealth to educate one. If we embrace this idea of Our Children, Our Commonwealth will benefit. Our children will graduate ready to contribute to their communities and build a happy life for themselves. 

Hope for a Brighter Future

I mentioned the ray of light earlier and one of its two meanings. While it is representative of integrity, this meaning is deeper and equally important. We can no longer set goals only for students to graduate high school. Of course we will still work toward supporting students to graduation, but we cannot see this as the end.  Some would argue this may be the end of our responsibility, but is it really? As long as we set our sights only on graduation, we lose sight of the bigger picture. This ray of light is symbolic of hope, hope for a better life ahead. The graduating student holds his or her diploma aloft with pride as they achieve a meaningful milestone. But they lift their eyes to the future with graduation to a future that holds promise and hope for a happy and fulfilling life. This is what school is about, not just the classrooms and the tests. School is about opportunity, for every student to do whatever he or she chooses with his or her life – be it university, college, career or the military – students must have an education that prepares them for the future that includes their interests.

The new Kentucky Department of Education logo marks not only a new brand for the department, but also a new day in Kentucky education. I hope it is a symbol for a renewed focus on all of our students – For Our Children, Our Commonwealth.

Accountability that promotes what’s best for students

If you have followed my blogs over the past five months, you probably know by now that my favorite thing about being commissioner is that I get to see firsthand our incredible teachers and students at work.  I continue to stand in awe of our teachers and most importantly our students.  Given that education is and should be all about our students, we should have an accountability system that reflects that.

Last week, I announced the first step toward developing new state and federal accountability system under the Every Student Succeeds Act – a series of Town Hall Meetings.  I will be traveling around the Commonwealth to 11 locations to hear from our parents, educators, elected officials, community members and students about the things they value in our schools.  This is a key first step, but there are a couple of things that I believe we must keep in the forefront as we undertake this exciting, but daunting task of building a new accountability system.  

First, we must keep in mind the pillars of our work:  equity, achievement and integrity. These three pillars are student focused.  Of course, they affect adults, but they are first and foremost about students.  As such, our new accountability system must anchored in these three components and students must be our focus.  

In 2001, when the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was signed into law, the way we think about accountability changed.  The one really good thing that came out of NCLB was that we cast a spotlight on the performance of ALL students.  It has forced us to consider how we need to change instruction to support all of our traditionally underserved populations.  
There are two things, however, that I believe were unintended consequences of NCLB that I have not heard a lot of people talking about.  

First, accountability and assessment became synonymous.  This is something we must correct going forward.  I am a believer in a quality assessment system, and a strong accountability system.  However, they are separate issues.  Assessment must be a part of the accountability system, but it should not be the system.  We can glean a lot of data from assessment, but assessment should not be the sole focus of our accountability system.  When it is, it effectively limits the curriculum that is taught and I believe ultimately limits the overall learning of our students.  We must go beyond just the outputs of tests and look at what is going on with our students in schools and classrooms to evaluate whether their needs are being met.  

The second unintended consequence from NCLB is that while we were disaggregating data for our students, we were aggregating school practice.  We basically said it was okay to do whatever you need to do to get students to pass the test, often at the expense of other necessary aspects of education such as science, social studies, visual and performing arts, career and technical education, and even how we meet the needs of our gifted and talented community.  

Since accountability is reported at the school and district levels, it will be critical that we inspect our new system from every angle to ensure that there are no unintended consequences.  

In my opinion, we need a system that promotes best practice and collaboration among our districts. We need a system that promotes learning opportunities to achieve education of the whole child. Items such as school culture, availability and promotion of subjects outside the tested subjects, special attention to equity and diversity with regard to access are all things that will lead us to even greater levels of proficiency for our students. Finally, we need a system that celebrates the good things that go on in our schools and districts and holds all accountable for providing a quality education for all students.

I hope you will join me at one of the town halls.  If you cannot, I hope you will make your thoughts known on what our new accountability system should include through a special e-mail box we have set up, KyEdListens@education.ky.gov. Please include the perspective from which you are writing – as a parent, educator, student, lawmaker, community member or other shareholder in our education system.

I need your help.  The Commonwealth needs your help.  Most importantly, the students of this great Commonwealth need you to be part of the conversation and put aside the issues that we have as adults and do what is right for them.

As always, I am so proud to be Kentucky’s Commissioner of Education, but I am especially proud at this point in history.