GOOD EVENING TO YOU. I’M RICK VAN HOOSE AND I’M JENNIFER BAILEYS. EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS MET WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE OVERSIGHT COUNCIL FOR A VERY CANDID CONVERSATION. THEY SAY CHANGES WILL HAVE TO BE MADE TO KEEP TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM. AS LAUREN ADAMS REPORTS, MANY SAY THEY DON’T FEEL SAFE AND CAN’T FOCUS ON TEACHING. FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR. WE HEARD TESTIMONY FROM SUPERINTENDENTS AND OTHER SCHOOL OFFICIALS WHO TOLD THE COUNCIL QUITE SIMPLY, WE NEED YOUR HELP. SO WE CAN HELP OUR STUDENTS. NOW, I DON’T WANT ANYBODY TO HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE DON’T WANT TO EDUCATE THEM. WE WANT TO EDUCATE THEM. WE JUST NEED HELP DOING SO EFFECTIVELY. DURING THURSDAY’S TESTIMONY, ROCK HOUSE WILL COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT DR. KERRY BALLENGER SAID PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH THE SEVERE BEHAVIOR ISSUES THEY’RE ENCOUNTERING WEEKLY. THERE’S LOST INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND MORE PRESSING THE ISSUE OF SAFETY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF. LEADING MANY TEACHERS TO QUIT TEACHER RETENTION IS AN ISSUE. WE WANT TO RETAIN OUR TEACHERS AND WE WANT TO SUPPORT THEM AND LOOKING AT JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM, I THINK WILL ASSIST THAT PROCESS. IT’S WHY THE GROUP IS PROPOSING SOME QUICK SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING ALLOWING LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION THE OPTION TO EDUCATE STUDENTS VIRTUALLY WHO HAVE MADE THREATS OR ACTED VIOLENTLY. THE GROUP ALSO SUGGESTED CHANGES TO DIVERSION PLANS, ESTABLISHING CLEAR TIMELINES FOR PROGRESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. LAWMAKERS AGREE MOST OF WHAT WAS PROPOSED MADE SENSE. IF WE INVEST IN CHILDREN APPROPRIATELY AND ADEQUATELY SUFFICIENTLY, AND WE GET PARENTS INVOLVED, WE DO ALL THESE THINGS RIGHT. WE CAN AVOID SENDING THE KID DOWN. THE CORRECTIONS PATH. THERE’S ALSO TALK OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES FOR YOUTH. BALLENGER SAID IN ONE RECENT INSTANCE, A CHILD SLEPT ON AN AIR MATTRESS IN AN OFFICE FOR SIX DAYS. THE RECURRING PHRASE OF NO BEDS, SHE SAYS, ISN’T ACCEPTABLE. WE CARE ABOUT THESE KIDS AND WE CAN DO BETTER. SENATOR WHITNEY WESTERFIELD, WHO SERVES AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE OVERSIGHT COUNCIL, SAYS HE’S ENCOURAGED BY WHAT HE HEARD TODAY. SO MUCH IN FACT, THAT HE BELIEVES SOME OF THESE SOLUTIONS COULD BE HEARD IN THIS SESSION.
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Kentucky educators, others ask for changes to make schools safer
School officials were in Frankfort Thursday to testify before the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council.
Lauren Adams
Anchor/Reporter
For more than an hour, superintendents and school advocates testified Thursday in Frankfort. The group spoke before the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council, telling them they needed their help in order to help their students."We don't want anyone to have the impression we don't want to educate them, we want to educate them we just need help doing something," Carrie Ballinger, Rockcastle County Schools superintendent, said.During Thursday's testimony, Ballinger said public schools were "not equipped" to deal with the severe behavior issues they're encountering weekly.There's lost instructional time, and more pressing: The issue of safety for students and staff is leading many teachers to quit."Teacher retention is an issue, we want to retain our teachers and support them and looking at juvenile justice reform I think will assist that process," Todd Hazel, director of student services at Warren County Public Schools, said.It's why the group is proposing quick solutions, including allowing local boards of education the option to educate students virtually who have made threats or acted violently. The group also suggested changes to diversion plans, establishing clear timelines for progress and accountability."If we invest in our children appropriately, sufficiently, and we get parents involved and we do all these things right we can avoid sending the kid down the corrections path," said Sen. Whitney Westerfield, chairman of the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council.There's also talk of increasing the number of short-term and long-term mental health facilities for youth. Ballinger said in one instance a child slept on an air mattress in an office for six days."We care about these kids. We have to find some solutions," Ballinger said. Westerfield said he is encouraged by Thursday's discussions, so much in fact he believes some of these solutions could be heard in the upcoming session.
FRANKFORT, Ky. —
For more than an hour, superintendents and school advocates testified Thursday in Frankfort. The group spoke before the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council, telling them they needed their help in order to help their students.
"We don't want anyone to have the impression we don't want to educate them, we want to educate them we just need help doing something," Carrie Ballinger, Rockcastle County Schools superintendent, said.
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During Thursday's testimony, Ballinger said public schools were "not equipped" to deal with the severe behavior issues they're encountering weekly.
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There's lost instructional time, and more pressing: The issue of safety for students and staff is leading many teachers to quit.
"Teacher retention is an issue, we want to retain our teachers and support them and looking at juvenile justice reform I think will assist that process," Todd Hazel, director of student services at Warren County Public Schools, said.
It's why the group is proposing quick solutions, including allowing local boards of education the option to educate students virtually who have made threats or acted violently. The group also suggested changes to diversion plans, establishing clear timelines for progress and accountability.
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"If we invest in our children appropriately, sufficiently, and we get parents involved and we do all these things right we can avoid sending the kid down the corrections path," said Sen. Whitney Westerfield, chairman of the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council.
There's also talk of increasing the number of short-term and long-term mental health facilities for youth. Ballinger said in one instance a child slept on an air mattress in an office for six days.
"We care about these kids. We have to find some solutions," Ballinger said.
Westerfield said he is encouraged by Thursday's discussions, so much in fact he believes some of these solutions could be heard in the upcoming session.
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