Governor Steve Beshear is holding various press conferences and town hall meetings regarding education today, tomorrow and Wednesday. The purpose? Self promotion, of course. Just like spending tons of state resources to sign the same bill over and over makes tons of sense. So does hyping the myriad press appearances as “Important announcements regarding education.”
The first stop took place this morning in Lexington. The second is taking place right now at Male High School in Louisville.
To prove that Todd Hollenbach is just making shiz up regarding keeping his public schedule top-secret, here are the rest of the Governor’s appearances that have been pre-released to the press:
Today:
- Press Conference @ 2:00 P.M. Central
Paducah Tilghman High School, Gymnasium lobby
Paducah - Press Conference @ 4:00 P.M. Central
East Heights Elementary School, Gymnasium
Henderson - Town Hall Meeting @ 5:30 P.M. Central
Apollo High School, Auditorium
Owensboro
Tuesday, October 20:
- Press Conference @ 11:30 A.M. Central
Drakes Creek Middle School, Library
Bowling Green - Press Conference @ 3:00 P.M. Eastern
Perry County Central High School, Library
Hazard - Town Hall Meeting @ 5:00 P.M. Eastern
Pike Central High School, Gymnasium
Pikeville
Wednesday, October 21:
- Press Conference @ 10:30 A.M. Eastern
Hager Elementary School, Library
Ashland - Press Conference @ 2:00 P.M. Eastern
Randall K. Cooper High School, Library
Union
All joking aside, the Governor is using his appearances to announce his new “Transforming Education in Kentucky” task force, which he’ll co-chair with Ed Commish Terry Holliday. Beshear says the task force will continue building on successes of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). We’ll just bite our tongues on that one for the time being.
From the press release:
The members of the task force include education advocates, teachers, superintendents, legislators, business leaders and others who have been handpicked for their commitment to education and to Kentucky.
The group will examine efforts currently underway in the state, such as the Common Core Standards Initiative, Graduate Kentucky, the Gates Foundation/SREB college and career readiness initiative, the Race to the Top competition and the Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood Development and Education. Against this backdrop of renewed energy and activity, the panel will recommend ways to channel all of these efforts into an integrated and comprehensive system of education in Kentucky.
In addition, the task force will explore career and technical education, expanded use of technology for learning, increased opportunities for students to earn college credit in high school and other issues that affect student success.
Peep the entire list of task force members after the jump…
- Sen. Tim Shaughnessy, D-19th District
- Rep. Leslie Combs, D-94th District;
- Rep. Jeffrey Hoover, R-83rd District;
- Rep. Carl Rollins, D-56th District;
- Helen Mountjoy, secretary, Education and Workforce Development Cabinet
- David Adkisson, president, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce;
- Sheldon Berman, superintendent, Jefferson County;
- Mary Ann Blankenship, executive director, Kentucky Education Association;
- Karen Cash, classroom teacher, Louisville;
- Margaret Cleveland, school board member, Woodford County;
- Sam Corbett, chair, Prichard Committee;
- Ben Cundiff, Cundiff Farms, Cadiz;
- Sharon Darling, president, National Center for Family Literacy;
- Betty Griffin, The Griffin Group, Frankfort;
- Tim Hanner, superintendent, Kenton County;
- Trichel House, classroom teacher, Russell;
- Nanette Johnson, superintendent, Hardin County;
- Eleanor Jordan, executive director, Kentucky Commission on Women;
- Robert King, president, Council on Postsecondary Education;
- Nana Lampton, American Life & Accident Insurance Company of Kentucky, Louisville;
- William Lovell, school board member, McLean County;
- Brent McKim, president, Jefferson County Teachers’ Association;
- Bob Porter, mayor, City of Paintsville;
- Johnna Reeder, Duke Energy, Covington;
- Stu Silberman, superintendent, Fayette County;
- Stephen Trimble, superintendent, Johnson County; and
- Diane Whalen, mayor, City of Florence
4 responses so far ↓
1 Thunder Storm // Oct 19, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Why is Rep. Derrick Graham not on this committee. He is the #1 education legislator…. even though he forgets he represents a large state employee population at the same time.
Also nothing will come of this. Way too many chief honchos in this group. where are the worker bees?
Another blue ribbon panel that will present a report full of legalese mumbo jumbo and it will sit in an closet somewhere gathering dust until the next Governor decides to do the same thing.
2 jake // Oct 19, 2009 at 2:32 pm
What about Linda Belcher? Kent Stevens? Jack Westwood? Charlie Miller? Jim Glenn? There are tons of teachers in the legislature. It’s a shame there wasn’t a focus on folks who actually know what it’s like to be an educator.
3 Novena // Oct 20, 2009 at 6:25 am
“Those Who Can Teach”
Jake, the makeup of this “blue ribbon” panel is par for the course, even slightly better than most, in terms of the number of classroom teachers on it (I count three). Politicians tend to leave teachers off such groups because they fear they know too much about education. Without their representation, the pols can do what they want about making a PR extravanga about their supposedly being interested in schools and children. It is easer to do that PR job than face the real obstacles that impinge upon education, e.g., low incomes, poor/segregated housing, inadequate health care, and other socio-economic conditions that pols wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.
4 Novena // Oct 20, 2009 at 8:24 am
“Sorry, Ms. Brotherton”
My apologies to those who frowned upon (as Mrs. Brotherton, my grammar school principal, would) for a few typos above. It was early and I typed too quickly.
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