HOTLINELeadership Focused • Student Centered • Success Driven

A PUBLICATION OF THE KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS VOL. 44 • ISSUE 2

January 2014

President’s MessageOrganizing for Success

2nd Annual Student Art Contest

KASA 2014 Legislative Program

Leadership Development OpportunitiesP2 P5 P8

www.kasa.org

KASA 2014 keynote speaker inspires others to do insane, but amazing things

Two-time world champion Eco-Challenge Adventure Racer and San Diego fi refi ghter, Robyn Benincasa knows a thing or two about creating human synergy, or as Robyn puts it, “that

magic that allows groups of ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things together.” For the past 15 years, she and her teammates have studied extreme teamwork in the most unique and compelling classroom on earth: the jungles of Borneo, the Himalayan peaks of Tibet, the rivers of Fiji, the rainforests of Ecquador, and the epic brush fi res of Southern California. It is through these harrowing, life affi rming, and often hilarious experiences in the world’s most grueling challenges that she has emerged with her refreshing and truly unique perspective on what it takes to build the kind of world-class teams that succeed against all odds, that triumph in the face of adversity and that go the distance in any endeavor.

Robyn Benincasa accepts full blame for inspiring people to do insane things like climb Mount Kilimanjaro, run their fi rst triathalon, start their own adventure racing teams, or start their own businesses. This is, after all, who she is and what she does: Robyn Benincasa inspires people to do amazing things!

Through her keynote presentation, Lead Like Gumby: Flexible Leadership That Gets Results, Robyn Benincasa combines well-respected academic research with amazing adventure racing and fi refi ghting footage that illustrates great (and not so great) leaders in action in the most extreme challenges on earth.

The result is an in depth and powerful look into six distinct leadership styles that, when utilized interchangeably and judiciously, are proven to have a positive effect on the corporate climate - the simplest way to increase the bottom-line. Attendees will emerge with a deep understanding of the most effective way to engage and motivate their team.

Make lodging reservations now: Call the Galt House direct at (800) THE-GALT or make reservations online at https://resweb.passkey.com/go/KASA2014 by June 24, 2013. Be sure to request KASA’s special room rate ($142 SUITE Tower and $122 RIVUE Tower).

Be sure to stop by the Adventure Center in the Market Place for even more dynamic team building ideas from Robyn!

Mark your calendar now so you don’t miss this inspirational keynote message on team building and facing challenges.

KASA Leadership Institute & Expo * July 16-18, 2014 * Galt House Hotel, Louisville

Robyn BenincasaLead Like Gumby: Flexible

Leadership That Gets Results

Q. What do the world's most successful teams have in common?

A. The ability to upgrade their "teamwork" to Human Synergy!

Robyn Benincasa

With the jungles of Borneo, Himalayan peaks of Tibet, rivers of Fiji and epic brush fi res of Southern California as her backdrop, Robin Benincasa, will help Kentucky school districts build world class teams that do amazing things for kids.

KASA STAFFExecutive DirectorV. Wayne Young

Deputy DirectorRhonda Caldwell

Executive Operations CoordinatorPat Bailey

Membership/Marketing CoordinatorMary Brown

Legislative LiaisonClyde Caudill

Communications and Affiliate Services CoordinatorWanda Darland

Superintendent Selection ServicesPhil Eason

Membership Coordinator/Meeting PlannerErin Howe

Director of Professional DevelopmentShirley LaFavers

Finance SpecialistAmy Moore

Executive AssistantMilinda Sosby

Professional Development AssistantAnne Winburn

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As a former principal I was fortunate to be part of something special when it comes to

a learning climate that leads to a better school. Our school administrative team (administrators, counselors, and district support staff) met bi-weekly focusing on the activities at the school level to occur over the next couple of weeks. We kept a pulse on the culture while working together to reach new heights.

In my new position, we began with a leadership retreat this summer at the KASA Leadership Institute. In this setting we set the framework from which we would begin our journey. We developed priorities for our leadership team that we believed would help us reach our goal of becoming a high-performing school district. We also developed

norms for our meeting that would put in place a framework to help our team grow and ultimately help our staff and students.

We also worked on a common language that would enable us to communicate clearly what we were going to be about, which was sustained student success and school district growth. Our goal was to acquire input from everyone and have open and honest discussions in the development of all of these strategies. We had some tough conversations and through it all we grew closer as a group. We set meeting dates and times along with goals for our schools. With input from all involved, we put in place a framework for success. This organizing will help us better serve our staff and students.

President’s Message

Paul Mullins, Garrard County Schools

Organizing for Success

2nd Annual Student Art Contest KASA is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Student Art Contest, calling for student-produced

artwork that explores this year’s theme: School Safety: I Am a First Responder! The contest asks students to use their creative skills to create a bookmark designed around the theme. In times of diffi culty and matters of school safety, students, staff and teachers are the true fi rst responders. It is this spirit that we hope to capture through the I Am A First Responder student art contest.

Entries can be mailed to the KASA offi ce and will be accepted until April 24, 2014. We had over 100 entries last year and hope to have even more entries this year. Entries will be judged by a statewide blue ribbon judging panel with one entry from each grade category selected as a fi rst place award winner. First place entries will be prominently displayed at KASA’s annual leadership institute, July 16-18, 2014. Winners will be invited to attend KASA’s annual leadership institute July 17 or 18 and be recognized before a large audience. Winners receive a bronze medallion, $150 gift card, and overnight lodging at the Galt House. For all of the details visit www.kasa.org or email Erin Howe (erin@kasa.org).

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Effective advocacy can infl uence public policy, laws and budgets that meet the educational needs of Kentucky’s school children.

Legislative advocacy, although diffi cult to quantify, is crucial to the future of education. For over four decades, KASA has represented education leaders across the state. As your voice at the capitol, we are committed to taking substantive and bold action to assure that every student in Kentucky has access to an equitable and adequate education.

During the 2014 legislative session, KASA staff will be at the capitol every day tracking bills that impact education by talking with legislators and attending committee meetings that pertain to the issue, (as well as subcommittee meetings outside education, such as taxation and healthcare coverage) urging the General Assembly to make P-12 education a priority.

In its commitment to educational excellence, KASA has partnered with the Kentucky General Assembly, urging it to honor Kentucky’s constitutional mandate, assuring our students and citizens have access to the highest quality educational opportunities available.

2013-2014 Board of DirectorsOfficers*

President: Paul Mullins, Garrard County

President-elect: Lu Young, Fayette County

Vice President:Barry Lee, Casey County

Immediate Past President:Rita Muratalla, Bullitt County

Regional RepresentativesA Donna Crouch, Graves Co.

B Brad Johnson, Hopkins Co.

C Kirk Biggerstaff, Monroe Co.

D Jennifer Lewis, Hardin County

E Shannon Treece, Eminence Ind.

F Scott Hawkins, Woodford Co.

G Amy McVey, Fayette Co.

H Steve Butcher, Pulaski Co.

I Matt Mercer, Pike Co.

J Dan Imes, Greenup Co.

K Alissa Ayres, Boone Co.

Affiliate Representatives

KAES Garrick Ratliff, Robertson Co.

KAESP Jo Craven, retired

KAPS Diane Herrick, Jefferson Co.

KASBO Stephen Clark, Cloverport Ind.

KASS Coy Samons, Paintsville Ind.

KASSP David Gilliam, Madison Co.

KCA/KSCA Mark Casto, Russell Ind.

KDPP Mike Ford, Boone Co.

KMSAA Reed Adkins, Pike Co.

KSNA Barbara Kincaid, Boone Co.

KYCASE Rhonda Simpson, Green Co.

KYSPRA Leslie Peek, Bowling Green Ind.

Emeritus Members Glenn Spalding, retired

Spotlight on Member Benefi tsAdvocacy

Annual Finance, Policy & Operations Institute, March 20-21Stretching the school dollar and reallocating resources to classrooms are hot topics for Annual FOP Institute

Registration is available at www.kasa.org for KASA’s 10th Annual Finance, Operations & Policy Institute, March 20-21 in Lexington. This year, attendees will enjoy two keynote presentations:

Numerous concurrent sessions are also scheduled, including an update from KDE, the latest on the Affordable Health Care Act, 2014 General Assembly’s impact on education, Redbook: Learn it. Live it. Lead It., primer on SEEK funding from Murray Ind.’s Bob Rogers, SFCC support for your district, putting process and performance management to work in your district, and many more.

For one and a half days, Kentucky’s education leaders will meet at the Lexington Center to learn about resources and processes for reallocating resources back to Kentucky’s P-12 classrooms. Mark your calendar and register now at www.kasa.org -> Leadership Development tab -> Financial Management & Resources.

Day 1: 8 a.m.–3 p.m. / Day 2: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. The Lexington Center (Rupp Arena)10 hours EILA/FO credit available

Lodging—Small number sleeping rooms available at the Marriott Griffi n Gate Resort in Lexington. Call (859) 231-5100

Stretching the School Dollar by Dr. Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and executive editor of Education Next

Transformational Change through Innovation and Process and Performance Management (PPM) by Dr. Randy Poe, superintendent of the Boone County Schools

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Districts awarded Process & Performance Management Grants for reallocating resources to classrooms

to the following districts on being awarded a process and performance management (PPM) grant.

Tier 2 districts receive a $40,000 grant to analyze issues designed to drive student achievement or drive cost savings in the district. This tier grant requires a six-month commitment and provides PPM training that is customized for the district and its leadership team.

Tier 1 recipients are awarded a $10,000 grant for an audit that answers numerous questions such as how the system ensures linkages of the strategic plan to the work and if the system is effi cient to meet the challenges of today’s fi scal environment in P-12 schools.

Other tier grant districts will attend KASA’s Finance, Policy & Operations Institute March 20-21 where they will learn about PPM and develop an application for a tier 1 or 2 grant in 2014-15.

KASA is working in partnership with the American Productivity Quality Center (APQC) to provide these services and the exper-tise needed to assist districts with reallocating resources back to the classroom through PPM.

The grants are made possible by the Kentucky Department of Education.

Tier 2 Grants

Boone CountyDaviess CountyGarrard County

Lee CountyMartin CountyNelson County

Tier 1 Grants

Bullitt CountyChristian CountyMiddlesboro Ind.Owsley CountyOwensboro Ind.

Paducah Ind.Perry CountyPineville Ind.Raceland Ind.

Other GrantsCorbin Ind.

Cumberland CountyEast Bernstadt Ind.

Kenton CountyUnion County

Washington County

Save the

Date!

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Kentucky Association of School Administrators

2014 Legislative ProgramWritten by the legislative committee and approved by the KASA Board of Directors in November, this program will be used as a blueprint to guide the work of the KASA lobbying team.

Copies of the 2014 Legislative Program were sent to all legislators in December.

PREAMBLEThe Kentucky Association of School Administrators remains committed to the vision of providing quality elementary and secondary education opportunities for the children of our state. Only with the ongoing leadership and resolve of the legislature can Kentucky live up to its commitment to edu-cational excellence.

KASA urges the General Assembly to honor our state’s constitutional mandate, and restore P-12 education as its highest funding and policymaking priority. If our documented educational im-provement is to continue, Kentucky must keep pace with the efforts of the nation and the world in assuring that our students and citizens have access to the highest quality educational opportunities available.

KASA commits to a partnership with the General Assembly, and with all those who would continue to make the education of Kentucky’s citizens their highest priority, in order to assure them a place in the world economy and the marketplace of ideas. To that end, we propose the following as our Legislative Program for the 2014 session of the Kentucky General Assembly:

FUNDING ISSUESIt is the constitutional duty of the General Assembly to provide an adequate and equitable system of funding for the public schools. This duty supersedes all other legislative functions. KASA believes that the following priorities must be addressed in order for the legislature to fulfi ll its obligations toward P-12 education in Kentucky:

Top Priority• Commit all growth in state revenues to increasing the SEEK base, and restore SEEK and all other fl exible focus funds (professional develop-

ment, safe schools, textbooks, transportation, FR/YSC’s, etc.) to at least FY 2009 levels.

Other Priorities• Oppose all unfunded mandates and cost-shifting to local districts.• Provide state funding that is adequate to support full-day kindergarten in every school district.• Fund SEEK based on average daily membership (ADM), with no decrease in the per pupil amount.

REVENUE ISSUESIn addition to the funding issues detailed above that are the responsibility of the General Assembly, state and local taxing authority must be de-signed to generate adequate revenue. KASA supports the following:

Top Priority• Adopt comprehensive tax reform measures that provide for ongoing growth of state tax revenues based on the growth of the state’s

economy.

Other Priorities• Enhance state-level enforcement to assure accurate and timely assessment of real property by property valuation administrators (PVA’s).• Require local school districts to increase their level of support for the Facilities Support Program of Kentucky (FSPK) to ten cents, not sub-

ject to recall, and equalize that amount with state funds.

• Create incentives for local school boards to adopt the allowable annual 4% growth in property tax revenue.

STUDENT, CURRICULUM, AND ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUESAccountability is at the heart of Kentucky’s education system. In order for schools and school districts to provide the most productive, and highest quality educational experience, and successfully meet the needs of all students, KASA proposes the General Assembly do the following:

Top Priority• Provide adequate bandwidth and technology infrastructure to allow every school district to make maximum use of virtual and distance

learning and technology-based instructional materials.

Other Priorities• Provide incentives for secondary schools to pilot performance/competency based credit programs.

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• Continue with the implementation of the common core.• Give schools a greater role in designing the programs and services that are provided to the state

agency children (KECSAC) they serve.• Provide the services of certifi ed school counselors and other fully qualifi ed providers of student

support services at a level that assures that all students have adequate access to these services.• Increase the level of the awards to students for the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship

(KEES) program to keep pace with tuition increases at public postsecondary institutions.• Establish, expand, and fund a broader array of programmatic options (alternative programs, earlier

access to technical programs, planned 5-year programs, etc.) for high school students to assure that the needs of all learners are met.

• Adjust the performance index for schools to make allowances for transient students and students with limited-English profi ciency.

• Simplify the process for assessing student readiness for kindergarten.• Use student performance on statewide assessments and end-of-course assessments as part of the

criteria for calculating the award of KEES scholarship funds.

PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONNEL ISSUESTo continue tangible progress toward profi ciency, Kentucky’s schools must attract and retain the highest quality teachers and school leaders possible. KASA supports the following actions for the recruitment and retention of effective school district staff:

Top Priority• Alter the tribunal process for certifi ed employees to achieve more consistent results and promote effective teaching.

Other Priorities• Revise the professional growth and effectiveness system (PGES) for certifi ed employees to provide for effective assessment of non-classroom certi-

fi ed personnel (librarians, central offi ce, etc.) • Provide greater fl exibility to local districts and experienced teachers, through certifi cation waivers and endorsements, to allow teachers to be as-

signed to critical shortage areas and other hard-to-fi ll positions.• Streamline the certifi cation process for teachers coming to Kentucky from out-of-state.• Allow classifi ed school employees with specialized medical training to accompany students on out-of-state trips in lieu of nurses.• Give school districts more fl exibility in the employment of KTRS retirees.• Amend tenure statutes to clarify that substitute teaching and teaching under emergency certifi cation do not qualify as credit toward tenure.• Expand model programs aimed at shifting routine duties away from principals (SAM program, e.g.) to allow them to focus on instructional duties.• Redesign the TELL survey and administer it through local school district offi ces in order to achieve more valid and meaningful results.• Expand the activities which qualify for EILA credit so that school administrators can obtain credit without leaving their building or district. • Lengthen the standard work-year for teachers beyond 185/187 days, with adequate state funding to support salaries, to allow suffi cient opportunity

for professional development and other related duties.

GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT ISSUESSafe, effective and effi cient governance and management of the operations and resources of local school districts contributes directly to the success of students. KASA proposes the following measures aimed at improving theses functions:

Top Priority• Provide greater opportunities for local school boards to request waivers from state statutes and regulations in order to become “districts of innova-

tion.”

Other Priorities• Oppose the adoption of charter school legislation.• Establish reasonable and consistent guidelines for the adoption of school calendars that allow local districts the autonomy and fl exibility to adopt a

calendar that meets both the educational needs of students and the instructional time requirements set by the General Assembly.• Revise and simplify the consultation process for principals and school councils.• Provide more technical assistance to schools and districts to assist them in working with fi rst responders and complying with new school safety

requirements.• Exempt all school construction from prevailing wage laws.• Subject home schools to reasonable reporting and accountability requirements.• Continue to allow local school boards the discretion to determine whether to enter into collective bargaining agreements with their employees.

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Education session proposals sought for 2014 Leadership Institute

You are invited to submit an education session proposal for KASA’s 46th Annual Leadership Institute & Expo, July 16-18, 2014, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville. KASA’s Annual Leadership Institute & Expo is considered the premier event for school administrators statewide. Each year, volunteer leaders

of KASA work diligently to put together a conference program that offers attendees the best professional educational opportunities available.This year’s institute centers around the theme, Leadership: Discovering Your Inner Treasure. Proposals should present innovative ideas, unique

solutions, or proven programs that pertain to P-12 school administrators and other education professionals in the state. Education sessions will take place Thursday, July 17, 2014, in a one-hour format. Each presenter may submit up to two session proposals.

Longer sessions may be considered by the review committee if requested by the presenter.

For more information, or to submit a proposal, visit www.kasa.org (Leadership Development -> Annual Leadership Institute -> Sessions)

Deadline to submit proposals: March 14, 2014

Shout Out to KASA members—Our Kids Can’t Wait

Thanks to all for helping kick off Our Kids Can’t Wait campaign. Your direct messages sent January 7 to the Kentucky General Assembly were invaluable.

While the campaign kickoff date has come and gone, it’s vital that we continue delivering this united and urgent message to our leaders: Our Kids Can’t Wait!

1. Restore funding for basic school funding formula to 2008-09 levels;2. Restore fi nancial support for textbooks, preschool, safe schools programs,

teachers’ professional learning and tutoring to 2007-08 levels; and3. Provide funding for technology to increase capacity and speed so

students can connect to the instructional tools they need.

For more information about the campaign and how to get involved, visit www.kasa.org or contact Rhonda Caldwell (rhonda@kasa.org or (859) 583-5652) or KASA Member Anthony Strong (anthony.strong@pendleton.kyschools.us or (859) 620-6912).

Fred Award and Offi ce Professional Award nominations soughtDo you have a non-certifi ed staff member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty? Someone whose very presence makes the day brighter?

Someone who contributes to the learning environment each day? If so, consider nominating him or her for one of the following awards.

Fred AwardInspired by well-known author Mark Sanborn, the award is named in honor of Fred Shea, the subject of Sanborn’s national bestseller, The Fred Factor. The award seeks to honor an individual who exudes a Fred-like spirit of service, innovation, and commitment to others, positively infl uencing and impacting the lives of those in the school community.

Wanda Luttrell Offi ce Professional AwardNamed in honor of longtime KASA employee Wanda Luttrell, this award is presented to an offi ce professional who has contributed signifi cantly to the efforts of a school or district administrative team.

To nominate someone, or to get more information on these awards, visit www.kasa.org (Leadership Development -> Awards and Recognition). If you need additional information or have questions, please contact the KASA offi ce at (800) 928-5272.

Nomination deadline: March 14, 2014

Note: KASA Leadership Awards booklets will be mailed later this month to all superintendents and public relations staff.

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Employee Discipline in an Education EnvironmentAs you well know, discipline of employees is diffi cult even in the best of circumstances; it can also be frightening. To help prepare you and your staff, KASA is offering a workshop series, Employee Discipline in an Education Environment. This series will bring great comfort to those charged with the serious work of addressing misbehavior by school employees. Six hours of EILA credit is available per session. A light breakfast and lunch will also be provided.

This workshop series is divided into three modules. Module 1 is scheduled for January 24.

For more information, go to http://bit.ly/JHzBDm

Leveraging Leadership Skills: A Practical Approach for Aspiring Superintendents

This training will identify the single most important criteria that boards seek when hiring a superintendent, along with other critical information all candidates need before applying for the position, as well as an overview of the process most widely used by boards of education in selecting a superintendent. This training takes a practical approach to assisting individuals in gaining the knowledge, skills, tools and confi dence needed to pursue a position as a superintendent that is the right fi t for both the candidate and the school district. Participants will learn powerful steps to enhance their chances of being appointed superintendent while gaining an understanding of what to expect once they become an applicant, ranging from what jobs to apply for to the interview with the board of education to being named superintendent.Date: February 14 ~ Location: Frankfort

For more information, go to http://bit.ly/1bRlEZS

Personnel Essentials Webinar

This live, interactive webinar will focus on the most pressing issues facing local school districts as they make personnel decisions for the next school year. The outlook for school funding in Kentucky during the upcoming

budget cycle is absolutely dismal. Given that reality, local school leaders are faced with daunting decisions regarding staffi ng for the 2014-15 school year. Compliance with statutory requirements for personnel and salary decisions is an absolute necessity. This three-hour web-based workshop will walk participants through the statutory framework for making personnel decisions for the upcoming school year. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to submit questions and issues for real-time response.

February 25, 2014 * 2 to 5 p.m., ETFree to Active KASA Members; $69 Associate, Student and Retired Members; $119 Nonmembers One six hour EILA credit approved session is available annually to KASA active members at no cost as part of members’ benefi ts and services. If you have not already used this benefi t for 2013-14, you may register at no charge.

For more information, go to http://bit.ly/1a0JKEI

Leadership Development Opportunities

The New RedBook. Learn it. Lead it. Live it.

This session, offered as an on-demand webinar, is designed to educate fi nancial secretaries, school/district administrators, fi nance offi ce staff, booster club parents, PTA parents, volunteers, and anyone dealing with activity fund monies of the current guidelines in KDE’s updated version of Accounting Procedures for Kentucky School Activity Funds that became effective July 1, 2013. This version of the Redbook provides more specifi c guidance to almost every aspect of activity fund accounting and establishes new guidance in areas not mentioned in previous versions. This updated version also contains expanded defi nitions, a list of allowable and unallowable expenditures and an appendix that will be very helpful to school and district administrators.

For more information, go to http://bit.ly/1eH852q

Register now for theFinal Certifi ed Evaluation Training session this school year

February 4-5, Clarion Hotel, LexingtonRemember, (as required by KRS 156.557) all administrators who evaluate certifi ed staff must complete this training.

Registration available at: www.kasa.org -> Leadership Development Tab -> Professional Development Programs

January24 Employee Discipline Module 1

KASA Office, Frankfort

February4-5 Certified Evaluation Training

Clarion Hotel, Lexington

14 Aspiring Superintendents

Workshop

KASA Office, Frankfort

25 Personnel Essentials Webinar

27-28 Leading for 21st Century

Principals Session 3

RossTarrant Architects,

Lexington

March20-21 Annual Finance, Policy, &

Operations Institute Lexington Center

June12-13 Annual Education Law &

Policy Symposium Marriott Griffin Gate Resort & Spa, Lexington

July16-18 Annual KASA Leadership

Institute & Expo Galt House Hotel, Louisville

CALENDARof Events

FEATURED DATES

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It is routine for school administrators to fi nd their daily duties impacted in a direct way by the decisions of state and federal courts. Some decisions are helpful; some cause problems. As we have

concluded the Christmas season and begun a new year, it is appropriate to look back on how judges fulfi lled the role of Santa in dispensing their decisions – alternating (metaphorically) between the joy of a Christmas candy treat, and the inevitable lump of coal.

Lump of coal: The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the decision of the Kentucky Supreme Court which requires school administrators to make a determination as to whether students who commit certain offenses at school must be read their 5th Amendment “Miranda” rights before proceeding with an investigation.

Christmas candy: A federal judge in Oregon upheld a school district’s right to discipline a student for bullying and harassing another student while walking home from school. The student had claimed his actions were “off campus and after school,” and thus not subject to school discipline.

Lump of coal: A federal trial court in Kentucky ruled that a school district must reimburse the parents of a special education student under the “stay put” provisions on IDEA, for tuition paid by the parents after they unilaterally placed their child in a private school, even though the school district was prepared and capable of providing an appropriate program to the student. This decision is being appealed.

Christmas candy: A federal appeals court upheld the expulsion of a Nevada high school student for off-campus comments made online about carrying out a violent shooting at his school. The panel determined that the school district was justifi ed in expelling the student based on both the substantial disruption and invasion of the rights of others tests under federal case law.

You decide: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, sitting en banc (all active judges participating), has ruled in a 9-5 split that a Pennsylvania school district’s ban on displays of a cancer awareness bracelet inscribed with the caption “I boobies” violated students’ First Amendment free speech rights. (The district’s school board recently voted to appeal the decision to the U. S. Supreme Court.)

Lawlines

V. Wayne YoungExecutive Director

Contents of a school administrator’s Christmas stocking: Some candy, some coal

KASA Legislative InsiderA special thank you to all who volunteered to

serve as a KASA Legislative Insider. It is indisputable that direct contact from constituents with high-quality information about legislative issues is the most

valuable resource a legislator can have. KASA members who develop and nurture a relationship with their legislators have

the potential to have signifi cant impact upon specifi c legislative outcomes. It really does work!

Thank You!!

KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

HOTLINE is published monthly, September through May of each year by KASA for its membership.

KASA does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services.

Send articles/releases for this publication to Wanda Darland, at wandad@kasa.org.

Nannette Johnston, superintendent of Hardin County Schools, has been selected as KASA’s 2014 Kentucky

 Superintendent of the Year. She was presented the award November 27, at the Hardin County Board of Education in a surprise ceremony attended by faculty, staff, board members and community leaders.

Johnston will now compete for the National Superintendent of the Year Award, to be given by the American Association of School Administrators in February 2014.

Under Johnston’s leadership, Hardin County has excelled in college and career readiness. The district recently kicked off their Hardin County Work Ethic Certifi cation Program which is developed around eight work ethic standards they call “The Great Eight.” The program is supported by the community fi nancially, and through teaching and mentoring. Its goal is to assure that all Hardin County graduates have the personal skills and character traits – beyond academic preparation – to be successful in the workplace.

“All superintendents want what’s best for the students in their charge,” said Wayne Young, KASA executive director. “But Nannette sets the bar incredibly high when it comes to passionately advocating for what is best for children, without regard to the barriers or naysayers.”

Non Profi tOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDFrankfort, KYPermit No 256

Kentucky Association of School Administrators152 Consumer LaneFrankfort, KY 40601(800) 928-KASA or (502) 875-3411FAX: (502) 875-4634

www.kasa.org connect.kasa.orgwww.facebook.com/KASAEdleaderwww.twitter.com/KASAEdleader Return Service Requested

Special thanks to Sandra Cagle and Classworks for sponsoring a $2,500 scholarship to a Hardin Co. high school senior and providing the funds needed for Nannette to travel to AASA in February to compete for the National Superintendent of the Year Award.

Hardin County leader is 2014 Superintendent of the Year

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