Education

Former President Bill Clinton is coming to Owensboro this spring for a benefit fundraiser. The Messenger-Inquirier reports the event will raise funds to support the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center.

Ford served in the U.S. Senate from 1974 to 1999, and was Democratic Whip the first six years of Clinton’s presidencies.

President Clinton has appeared in Daviess County before—in 2000, he presented an education award to Audubon Elementary School, and he campaigned at Kentucky Wesleyan College in 2008 on behalf of his wife, Hillary Clinton, who was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

The Ford Government Education Center is located downtown in the Owensboro Museum of Science and History, and has displays of pictures, artifacts, and documents from Ford’s political career.

More than 260 Kentucky teachers were awarded national certification in 2012, ranking the state seventh nationally for the number of teachers earning that achievement.

National Board Certification is administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as is considered a top achievement in the profession.

The Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board says in a news release that the top ten states with the highest number of teachers certified in 2012 were North Carolina, Washington, Illinois, California, Arkansas, South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland and New York.

Charter school legislation has been introduced in the Kentucky House. It would allow a limited number of schools to pilot the concept, and supporters of the bill are hoping the less aggressive approach will appeal to those who have opposed past measures.

Shelbyville Rep. Brad Montell crafted his bill with help from the Kentucky Charter School Project. The group includes several organizations that have supported charter school legislation the past couple of years.

Spokesman Joe Burgan says the bill would pilot the charter school concept instead of allowing all schools the option.

“So instead of wide spread charter schools in Kentucky this would limit them top 75 schools over a five year period. So it’s starting small rather than trying to jump right in and get everything in one bill.”