Kentucky
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Kentucky
States
Liberals Win Hotly Contested School Board Races in Backlash to Conservative Control
A Democrat who championed teacher pay raises was also reelected Kentucky's governor and Democrats won legislative majorities in Virginia.
School & District Management
Video
How This Superintendent Overhauled Literacy Instruction
This Kentucky superintendent made overhauling literacy instruction a top priority. Two years later, he’s already seeing results.
School & District Management
A District's Bus 'Disaster' Highlights a Nationwide Driver Shortage
A transportation meltdown caused a district to cancel six days of classes as schools nationwide struggle to hire enough bus drivers.
States
Ky. Education Commissioner Says ‘Dangerous’ Anti-LGBTQ Law Led to His Resignation
Kentucky’s top education leader said he didn’t want to enforce the new Senate Bill 150 that critics have called an anti-LGBTQ measure.
Equity & Diversity
Pronouns for Trans, Nonbinary Students: The States With Laws That Restrict Them in Schools
Under the laws, teachers aren’t required to use trans or nonbinary students’ requested pronouns.
Mathematics
Parents Are Often Nervous About Math. They Can Still Help Their Kids Learn It
Games that get at core numeracy skills and family nights where parents learn about changing methods can dial down the stress.
Teaching Profession
Lawmakers Target How Teachers’ Unions Collect Dues
Teachers often opt to have union dues deducted from their paychecks. Republicans in some states are fighting to change that.
School Climate & Safety
Q&A
How a Student's Push to End Paddling in Schools Became a Yearslong Civics Lesson
A student advocate pushed to end corporal punishment in his state—and gained a passion for civic involvement in the process.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
What One School Is Doing to Keep Its Teachers
In just three years, my school boosted teacher retention from 63 percent to 100 percent. Here's how.
School & District Management
Emergency Readiness Lessons From a District's Water Crisis
District leaders in Jackson, Miss., relied on "muscle memory" to get kids back in remote learning when the city's water system failed.
Equity & Diversity
In a State With an Anti-CRT Law, a New Initiative Seeks to Coach Schools on Equity
Seventy-four Kentucky districts are scheduled to begin coaching sessions next month as part of the pioneering program.
Equity & Diversity
Backlash, Hostility, and Safety Fears: What It's Like to Be a Chief Equity Officer in the Anti-CRT Era
Three equity officers faced scrutiny, criticism, and personal threats, which intensified during the anti-critical race theory push.
Equity & Diversity
Citing Anti-Gay Discrimination, a Teacher of the Year Leaves the Classroom
Kentucky's 2022 Teacher of the Year Willie Carver Jr. said he had been unable to find support from his school administration.
Teaching Profession
In Their Own Words
'I'm Afraid to Return to the Classroom': A Gay Teacher of the Year Speaks Out
Willie Carver, Jr., the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, is questioning his future as a teacher given recent anti-LGBTQ legislative efforts.