News Release: Bluegrass Institute’s campaign for education accountability gains support of state leaders

(Frankfort, Ky.) – The Bluegrass Institute supports efforts announced this week by the Kentucky Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday and State Auditor Adam Edelen to bring transparency to the school superintendent evaluation and compensation process.

In a joint news conference on Thursday, Holliday and Edelen announced their intention to require school superintendent contracts, evaluations and benefits be made available online. This is a step toward a more open and efficient school system.“

Education accountability has long been a goal of the Bluegrass Institute,” said Logan Morford, the institute’s vice president of transparency. “The efforts of the commissioner and auditor to bring transparency and accountability to the education system are applauded and we hope that they will continue to push forward so that Kentucky’s children can receive the opportunity they deserve.”

In 2011, the institute conducted an investigation using the Kentucky Open Records laws to obtain the performance evaluations of superintendents in under-performing school districts from across the state.

The results, published in a report titled “Rewarding Failure,” were shocking. It revealed how superintendents were rubber-stamped through the evaluation process while not being held accountable for the poor academic performance of students.

“Rewarding Failure called attention to the fact that:

• superintendents received raises despite poor performance

• there is an alarming lack of detail in the evaluations

• at the time there was a complete lack of checks and balances on the evaluation by the Department of Education and Commissioner of Education

• the evaluations were conducted by local school board members who generally do not have extensive experience with education management.

For more information, contact Jim Waters at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com or (270) 782-2140