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1. Prepare students for the world they live in (http://www.ncforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Top-Education-Issues-2024-25-Print-Ready.pdf) I chose this topic because of the subject I teach. The classes I teach prepare students for the real world and I think schools need the opportunity to take these classes.

2. Advocating for English Language Learners (https://ascd.org/el/articles/be-an-advocate-for-english-language-learners) The population of ELL in my district is growing and we don't have the resources or staff to support these students. I also think teachers are left to figure out what to do on their own and get no extra help or support.

3. Student and Teacher Mental Health (https://learnwellservices.com/three-ways-advocate-student-mental-health/) We need more services for students and teachers for mental health. Having more services and opportunities for mental health awareness that are intentional can make a difference. I think efforts are sometimes made for awareness for mental health, but it is not coming from the right people and not delivered the way it should be.

4. Provide safe, supportive, inclusive schools for each and every student (https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/federal-legislation/Public-Policy-Priorities/safe-supportive-and-inclusive-schools I chose this because my school has really made it a point to work on and come up with ideas to make our school a place that feels safe, supportive, and inclusive. But it can be hard to create a school environment when there is no diversity in the school. We shouldn't wait for something to happen to make school safe, make schools safe now.

5. Elevates the voices of the people who matter most in the movement to improve schools: parents, kids and teachers. https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/01/31/50-advocacy-orgs-making-a-difference/ I chose this topic because a lot of the time, the most important people get left out of school decisions. School is for the students and teachers, but they don’t always get a say. As teachers, we get so frustrated when decisions that affect us get made by people who have no idea what it’s like to be in the classroom now or they are so far removed the classroom that there are so many new changes.

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8th grade US History- Students who have IEPs need more support and advocacy in schools. Teachers should also be supported in ways that help students with IEPs to receive what they need and help them grow to their full potential.

FCS, 9-12- We should advocate for school inclusion. Every student should have the sense of belonging and have a group they feel connected to.

FCS, 9-12- Cell phone use in the classroom- what is the solution to it? We need to advocate for a consistent policy in our school. Also, distractions in the classroom, in general.

Spanish, 9-12- Mental health and providing more proactive mental health resources in schools.

Social Studies, 9-12- Becoming more aware and considering what students may be going through outside of the school day.

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Instructional Coach- Teacher benefits, what can we provide to people to make them want to become a teacher. Teacher incentives, what can we do to make teachers want to stay. Teacher pay, the profession needs to be more competitive and pay for what we work for and deal with.

Testing Coordinator- Teacher recruitment and retention. Ten years ago, teaching was a competition. "I was interviewed for a math position along with 12 other teachers and I didn't think I was going to get the job because I didn't have a masters. Now, if you have a pulse, you are hired."

Assistant Principal, 9-12- Going all in in evidence base strategies and using technology for the actual purpose of it.

Assistant Principal, 9-12- Advocate for more funding to the school districts to put the best teachers in the classrooms and entice people to want to become teachers. We need to stop demanding so much of teachers and let them teach.

Librarian, 9-12- Pay us like the professionals we are.

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Parent 1- Preparing students for life as adults.

Parent 2- We need to advocate for teaching in general as it is a needed profession and we need to recruit future educators.

Parent 3- All students should learn the same way even if they have an IEP or 504.

Parent 4- We should be connecting kids with people who are going to advocate for them and lead them. We should also teach students how to advocate for themselves.

Parent 5- More funding to pay for more interventionists.

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Accepting the Challenge: Helping Schools Get Smarter About Supporting Students’ Creative Collaboration and Communication in a Changing World 

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Accepting the Challenge: Helping Schools Get Smarter About Supporting Students’ Creative Collaboration and Communication in a Changing World 

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“The goal is somewhat paradoxical in that the future is unknown. So how might schools prepare young people for the unknowable? The prototypical response has been to design learning experiences based on what is already known in the hope that the knowledge, skills, and experiences in school will be durable enough to equip students for navigating the complexities of the problems they will encounter in the future.” This article outlines that we need to get smarter about way to engage students to prepare them for addressing complex problems, while giving them opportunities, experiences, and confidence. Students are falling short on being able to creatively resolve and communicate when dealt with a complex issue.

Beghetto, R. A., & Madison, E. (2022). Accepting the Challenge: Helping Schools Get Smarter about Supporting Students’ Creative Collaboration and Communication in a Changing World. Journal of Intelligence, 10(4), 80-. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence10040080

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Creating an Engaging and Relevant ‘Classroom’ that Ignites a Love of Learning

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Creating an Engaging and Relevant ‘Classroom’ that Ignites a Love of Learning

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This article is about a social enterprise that works with schools to create relationships and partnerships that teach young people global citizenship, self awareness and social justice. “Destination Dreaming is passionate about using service learning to engage young people and prepare them to thrive in a global world.” We should be giving our students experiences that is going to teach them about life and prepare them for the topics they face everyday. This article talks about taking the classroom experience and extending it to service and engagement to give students real life experiences and connections.

Kate Miller. (2012). Creating an engaging and relevant “classroom” that ignites a love of learning : inspiring, practical social education through service learning. Ethos (Carlton, Victoria), 20(1), 14–17.

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Prepare students for the world they live in.

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20 schools, 12,169 total students.

23.4% economic disadvantage, 76.6% non-econmic disadvantage.

82.8% White, 8.1% Hispanic, 4.5% 2 or more races.

Faculty demographicso 98% white, 2% non white.

CTE student partcicpation 10.5%

CTE student demographics- 85.4% white, 14.6% non white

Transition to adult life- 19.9% college, .5% technical training, 1.8% military

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Students need more classes that prepare them for real life. We need to advocate for CTE classes because they teach students basic life skills, workplace skills, and they give students the opportunity to explore different careers. Along with career skills, students should be exposed to social emotional learning to teach them soft skills to prepare them for this world, these social skills also should include diversity and inclusion.

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Incorporate the FCS and CTE KY Department of Education Reps. (Kayla Howard,Education Vocational Program Consultant and Ashleogh Vanhoose) talk to them about advocating for CTE in schools more. Be in contact with our CTE representative at the school’s district office, Angela Lange, as well as the technical center.

Connect with Oldham County board members Joe Dennis and Susan Hunnley.

Use the 4H extension office for connections.

​Career and Technical Education (CTE) Funding Formula Proposal

Revise distribution formula to create equity for every CTE student and program in the commonwealth, leverage federal CTE dollars, and incentivize indicators of high-quality CTE that are important to workforce development. (https://www.education.ky.gov/KBE/Pages/default.aspx)

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Step 5- Know how to contact decision makers

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Step 5- Know how to contact decision makers

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Kayla Howard- kayla.howard@education.ky.gov

Ashleigh Vanhoose- ashleigh.vanhoose@education.ky.gov

Angela Lange- angela.lange@oldham.kyschools.us

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Step 6- know the calendar for decision making 

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Step 6- know the calendar for decision making 

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Kentucky Board of Education Meetings- October 7-8, 2024, Commissioner’s Evaluation Discussion and Regular Meeting

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Our district only has 10.5% of students participating in CTE courses. This is mainly because students are unaware of these courses and not all of the high schools offer CTE classes.

Students are lacking soft skills, we need to prepare students and teach them these basical schools.

In oldham county, 82.8% of the student population is white. Students are lacking diversity, therefor makes the concept of inclusion tough.

Meetings at board, emails, word of mouth.

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Speak at a board meeting.

Post on the school’s and board’s social media pages.

Send in information to the oldham era (local newspaper).

Utilize advisory meetings and members- parents, admin, students.

Have the 4H extension office share information.

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Step 9- know your role in the electoral process 

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Step 9- know your role in the electoral process 

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Need to know who will support career and technical education. Along with promoting diversity, SEL, and inclusion in the classroom and schools.

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Prepare students for the world we live in.

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Prepare students for the world we live in.

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The population at the school and district I teach at has a low population of students in career and technical education courses. I also chose this topic because to prepare students for the world they live in also includes diversity, soft skills, and inclusion. My school district and county is not very diverse so it is hard to teach these things when you can't practice. Students need to learn to be more aware and learn how to be kind.

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Prepare students for the world we live in. 

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Prepare students for the world we live in. 

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The population at the school and district I teach at has a low population of students in career and technical education courses. I also chose this topic because to prepare students for the world they live in also includes diversity, soft skills, and inclusion. My school district and county is not very diverse so it is hard to teach these things when you can't practice. Students need to learn to be more aware and learn how to be kind.

The existing schooling system fails to educate people in several areas crucial to a successful transition period of youth to adulthood, such as; negotiation skills, taxation, budgeting and investment skills, basic cooking skills and straightforward survival skills. (salary.com)