Robbie Fletcher

Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher

The start of the school year is always an exciting time, but sometimes our communities face challenges that can overshadow the amazing things happening in our classrooms and weigh on us as people. I know there have been some very difficult moments for some districts, students, families and communities, not just in Kentucky, but across the nation.

My heart goes out to families impacted by the tragedy in Laurel County in September, and I want to acknowledge and commend the area school districts for taking the appropriate steps to protect their children.

I also want to acknowledge and commend districts across the Commonwealth for taking various measures in response to potential threats and hoaxes.

There is no greater trust – or responsibility – that can be given to our schools than a parent or guardian saying he or she trusts us with his or her child. While we are always concerned about the amount of time our students are missing due to these hoaxes, our primary concern is the safety and well-being of the students and staff members that are in our schools every day across Kentucky.

We ask our families to talk with their students about the very real and serious consequences that can happen if they call in a threat against another student or their school. A threat like this can result in a student facing suspension, expulsion and/or alternative placements, in addition to the consequences from our justice system.

Going through months like September and with the holiday season coming up – which can be hard for many people – we should make mental health a priority in our own lives and for our students.

We here at KDE have a variety of resources to help families and districts get through crises. The easiest method to find these resources would be to look up the School Crisis and Emergency Response/Recovery webpage on the Kentucky Department of Education website. This webpage includes resources to help schools and districts take steps to recover from a crisis or emergency that has impacted the learning community. These resources can also help address the health, social, emotional and behavioral recovery of students and staff.​

The KDE Safe and Supportive Schools Branch works tirelessly to ensure schools have resources on school safety, school mental health, suicide prevention, bullying prevention, substance abuse, human trafficking, child sex abuse and emergency operations and planning.

Many of our programs can help address mental health issues, whether that be the Youth Mental Health First Aid program that trains anyone who works with students to recognize signs of depression, trauma or other concerns, or the ​​Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework to improve social emotional competence, academic success and school climate.

Our children face many challenges when it comes to their social and emotional wellbeing, and we just want you to know the KDE is here for you to help with these challenges.