The Kentucky Coalition for Advancing Education (KCAE) met virtually for the last time on June 23 to celebrate the accomplishments of the team, cohorts, and local learning labs (L3). The group discussed how ideas generated by the coalition will continue in an upcoming group, the Kentucky United We Learn Council (KUWL).

Established last year, the coalition has brought together families, community members, teachers, students and other diverse perspectives from across the Commonwealth to co-create a vision, foster local innovations and advance recommendations policies to shape the future of education in Kentucky.

The coalition took information gathered from multiple town halls over the past year to understand what Kentuckians want from their education system, which helped shape the United we learn vision for the future of education in the Commonwealth. This vision is built around three central themes: creating a more dynamic experience for every student, encouraging innovation in our schools, especially in assessment, and creating a bold new future for Kentucky schools through collaboration with our communities.

“The effort you all put in and the vision you all put forward is making a real difference,” said Education Commissioner Jason E. Glass.

Glass said work to change student experiences in the classroom is already underway, including a partnership with PBLWorks which will train a third of the state’s teachers in project-based and problem-based learning. The Kentucky Department of Education is also investing $21 million in emergency relief funds for elementary and secondary schools in cooperatives and regional education districts for deeper learning initiatives.

Center for Innovation in Education partner Doannie Tran explained how the work established by the coalition will continue through the KUWL Council, which will meet “twice a year, bringing together its members from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky to engage a conversation. and deliberation on the work that is integrated into the United We Learn Report.”

KUWL will have three standing committees: Creating Dynamic Learning Experiences, Accelerating Innovation, and Building a Bold New Future with Communities. The board will meet for the first time in late fall.

KCAE members had the opportunity to share the achievements they were proud of over the past year, with many acknowledging the group’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Lu S. Young, president of the Kentucky Board of Education, said she was “proud of the commissioner’s commitment to engaging a diverse set of committed stakeholders to envision a bold new future of teaching and learning for all. the children of Kentucky”.

Noraa Ransey, a National Board-certified teacher from Calloway County, said she was celebrating “diversity and equity becoming a priority across the state” and “seeing resolutions and declarations being created in schools, professional organizations and other groups committed to making all children a priority”.

Fayette County 16th District PTA member Penny Christain said she was impressed with the coalition’s dedication to inclusion.

“Parents are brought to the table in this space in a way I’ve never seen,” she said. “I don’t know how many times this year (I’ve heard), ‘Do you want to be the parent rep for this?’ which means you tick a box for the wife, the parent, the black person. It was never like that here.

Susan Dugle, Shelby County Public Schools Academic Lead, closed the meeting by inviting members to share their hopes for the future of the work they have done. Brenda Martin, a mother from Greenup County, was thrilled to “create an atmosphere of growth for our children” and looks forward to a time when students are not intimidated by staff, principals or teachers.

“I want to hear that they felt their voices were heard. I want to hear that they weren’t intimidated or intimidated and felt comfortable learning,” she said.