Although Sept. 11, 2001, was a horrible tragedy, it united the country in a way few had seen. It's time to create a new sense of unity to improve Kentucky's education system and help create the future of the Commonwealth.
Achievement gaps have been around for decades. They exist in nearly every school, every school district and every state. Everyone agrees we have to do something about gaps – something that will solve the issue once and for all – but then it grows quiet.
Despite the improvement we have seen, we, as a state, still have a lot of work to do. We have a significant achievement gap that needs to be addressed.
As Kentucky’s new commissioner of education, I want you to know that I value your views, your input and your help in preparing our students for tomorrow.
With the start of a new school year comes the first pages of a new chapter in the lives of 50,000 Kentuckians. It is a time for them to begin laying the foundation for a lifetime of exploration, learning and achievement.
Terry Holliday I came across an interesting article recently on results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The PISA evaluates education systems worldwide by testing 15-year-olds in key subjects. The man in charge of the PISA tests, Andreas Schleicher, the Director of education and skills with the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD), says the [...]
Terry Holliday No matter how busy my schedule gets as Kentucky’s education commissioner, I am always interested in receiving feedback. That’s one of the many reasons I meet regularly with staff, connect through social media and visit schools around the state. The comments, questions and ideas I receive from all of these and many other activities are invaluable, [...]
Education Commissioner Terry Holliday In order for more students to achieve success by reaching college- and career-readiness standards, we must have a highly effective teacher in every classroom, a highly effective leader in every school, a highly effective leader in every school district, and strong support and guidance from the state through the General Assembly, Kentucky Department of [...]
Education Commissioner Terry Holliday I recently had the opportunity to testify before the Senate Education Committee about the Common Core State Standards in English/language arts and mathematics and the Next-Generation Science Standards, adopted in our state and collectively known as the Kentucky Core Academic Standards. The hearing was on Senate Bill 224, which would abandon the standards and [...]
Education Commissioner Terry Holliday As I noted in my column last month, the 2013-14 school year is going to be a busy one with many new and continuing initiatives. Since that column ran, two reports have been published that underscore our work in two areas – teachers (their training, professional learning and their working conditions) and state education [...]