The Personnel Cabinet, Department of Employee Insurance has provided eligibility information to Humana resulting in the cancelation of several KEHP dependents. According to DEI the dependents were not verified as eligible in the audit they recently conducted.

There is an appeal process for those dependents that were terminated. Teachers may complete and submit the Appeal Request Form by August 13, 2010 to DEI appeals committee. The required information/documentation to verify dependent eligibility must be provided along with the Appeal Request Form.
 

 “I strongly urge Congress to keep educators working by including education jobs in the emergency funding bill. This legislation will save 300,000 jobs and provide students with the best opportunity to learn and succeed.”

Click on this link to sign NEA's petition: www.educationvotes.nea.org

The legislature adopted a state budget for the next two years. They come back this afternoon to try to adopt a road plan and tranportation budget. While education escaped the deep cuts that most state government functions took, the budget will not serve our students or schools well.
 

 The Hybrid Grant Program is a Kentucky Virtual Schools initiative that supports teachers in redesigning their face-to-face classrooms to include an online component in order to better meet the needs of 21st-century learners. The program provides the following free benefits:

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) encourages support for Kentucky's Summer Reading Programs to ensure students maintain a focus on reading and literacy. There is an abundant amount of research that shows when students are out of school during the summer, they return with a lag in their reading/literacy abilities. In order to maintain a focus on enjoying reading and continuing their academic growth and development, KDE is encouraging students remain active readers.

Please add JCTA email addresses as "not spam" in your emails.  Some of our emails to members are being sent to the junk or spam files. We are also working on this issue with JCPS.

Thank you to everyone who attended the rally on May 24, 2010!

Here are a few pictures that the CJ took.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=B2&Dato=20100524&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=305240018&Ref=PH

Here is a link to some news coverage from the rally

http://www.fox41.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=4813353&h1=State%20workers%20rally%20against%20budget%20cuts&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=150134&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=35331148

The Forum for Education and Democracy recently presented a seminar on education reform in America. To view the seminar, go to http://www.forumforeducation.org/node/541.

To see the Forum's recommendations for the reauthorization of ESEA, go to http://www.forumforeducation.org/our-issues/whats-new-forum/creating-national-culture-learning.

The state recently release seven audit reports for Jefferson County - one for each of the priority schools and one for JCPS in general. Here are the links to the full reports.

JCPS: www.courier-journal.com/article/20100504/EXTRAS99/100504009

Frost Middle: www.courier-journal.com/article/20100504/EXTRAS99/100504008

Western Middle: www.courier-journal.com/article/20100504/EXTRAS99/100504011

Shawnee High: www.courier-journal.com/article/20100505/EXTRAS99/100505004

Fern Creek High: www.courier-journal.com/article/20100504/EXTRAS99/100504007

Western High: www.courier-journal.com/article/20100504/EXTRAS99/100504012

Valley High: www.courier-journal.com/article/20100504/EXTRAS99/100504010

No Value Added: The Mismeasurement of Teaching Quality by David Cohen

David Cohen, a high school English teacher, says that there are inherent flaws in tying student test scores to teacher evaluations.
 

www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2010/04/28/tln_cohen_teachquality.html

JCTA’s Social Affairs Committee has planned an upcoming social event. It is a JCTA Day at the Downs on Thursday, June 17. On this day, members will sit on Millionaire’s Row. We will have a buffet and will watch a day of racing. Tickets for the event are $20 for members and $35 for nonmembers and guests. To register, call Chanda Hornback at the JCTA office at 454-3400 or email at chornback@jcta.org. Registration is limited, so please call today.

As part of its commitment to control health care costs, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is taking steps to ensure that only eligible dependents are covered under the Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan (KEHP). Covering individuals who are not eligible raises the cost of health coverage, which is reflected in the premiums deducted from paychecks. If you have dependents enrolled in KEHP, you recently received a letter from Chapman Kelly, Inc. KEHP has retained Chapman Kelly as an independent firm to administer the dependent eligibility verification program that is underway. This program is intended to ensure that each dependent enrolled in the health plan is accurately listed and eligible for coverage.
 

www.youtube.com/watch