Kentucky Department of Education

Need to Submit Intent to Adopt Form on Teacher/Leader Evaluation by March 29 - To ensure districts are prepared to submit their final teacher and leader evaluation plans by the December 2013 deadline, you are asked to complete the District Declaration of Intent to Adopt form found on the web collector at the link listed below. The form asks that districts select their intent to adopt the state-developed professional growth and effectiveness system or a locally-developed system that meets the ESEA waiver requirements. This form shall be submitted to the KDE, after consultation and approval from the district’s local evaluation committee, no later than March 29, 2013.

 

The form is located at http://cms.education.ky.gov/formserv/?id=IntentToAdoptPGES and can be completed and submitted online.

 

Clarification on Sequestration – It looks pretty certain that sequestration will happen. Attached are two charts and we received from US Department of Education showing cuts to IDEA and Title I for Kentucky. As soon as possible, we will provide LEA level cuts. The complexity of the federal fiscal year and the school district fiscal year are a challenge to all superintendents and finance officers.

 

As I shared in this week’s superintendents’ webcast, the sequestration is 5% for federal fiscal year 2013 since there are only 7 months (March – September); however, should the sequestration continue for federal fiscal year 2014, then we will see a projected 9% reduction. Your challenge is to budget for your fiscal year 2014, which is the 2013-14 school year. You have to make staffing decisions in the next few weeks that are dependent on the federal budgets. We will stay close to this issue as it develops; however, it would be a conservative choice to plan for a 9% reduction in federal funds for school year 2013-14. You can always adjust later if you receive more funds, but, it is difficult to reduce programs in the middle of a school year.

 

Using Race to the Top Funds for Teachscape Costs - Many of you have been asking about amending your Race to the Top Scope of Work to cover the costs of the Teachscape proficiency certification process. A decision has been made that this will be an allowable expenditure of your Race to the Top Funds since this process can be linked to the EDS module of CIITS. Please remember, however, that each of the participating Race to the Top districts signed assurances that they would effectively implement the EDS module of CIITS and agreed to performance measures for EDS. We recommend you budget carefully as to not be caught without funds for the EDS implementation, especially during the full roll-out year in 2014-2015.

 

My Lync Sessions with Superintendents Delayed – I had every intention of starting the face-to-face conversations with superintendents by co-op region in February. However due to my voice issue, I am delaying this until I can see the specialist in late March. After that, hopefully, we can get a schedule for these sessions sent out to you and get them started. Thank you for your patience on the delay.

 

My Blog This Week:  Follow-up to KSBA Speech on Improving Local Board Training and Superintendent Evaluation - Check out my blog this week that is a follow-up to my KSBA speech on local board training and superintendent evaluation at:  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9202687599504806318#editor/target=post;postID=8565021802698278495.