What is the purpose of a cooperative?

1. What is the purpose of a cooperative? • Assist school districts in improving student performance • Enable school districts to operate more efficiently and economically • Implement initiatives in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education • Assist school districts, universities, and other partners to collaborate in P-20 education

2. What is KEDC? • KEDC is a hybrid organization: • Through an interlocal cooperation agreement KEDC is a quasi-governmental entity enjoying many of the same benefits as school districts such as the state pays for the KTRS match, health and life insurance • KEDC is also a 501c-3 non-profit corporation functioning as a business that has to generate revenue from which to operate

3. How is KEDC funded? • KEDC has no taxing authority and receives no local tax dollars and no direct funds from the state for general operations • Of KEDC’s five million dollar budget only about $130,000 come from membership dues • KEDC’s business services annually turn over to the general fund and instructional services more than $600,000 in excess revenues to support the administration and operation of programs

4. Past Goals and Initiatives • Expansion of Organizational Capacity thru additional Instructional Consultants • Reading Consultant – Angela Hilterbrand • Math Consultant – Janet Castle • Leadership Consultant – Ann Burns • Technology Consultants – • Tiffaney Lavoie • Michael Wlosinski • Instructional Coach and Grant Writer – Debbie Walker (part-time)

5. Past Goals and Initiatives • Instructional initiatives: • Instructional Rounds – regional, districts, schools • Leadership Schools – Leader in Me; 7 Habits for teens; 7 Habits training for teachers and others • Support for Imbedded PD; PD360 implementation • Reading Revisited and other Literacy/Writing efforts • Training and support for use of technology in classroom instruction; helping districts make the most of their technology purchases • Support for KDE Math and ELA Teacher Networks

6. Past Goals and Initiatives • Technology Services: • Expansion to classroom technology installation and support • Doubling the number of wiring teams available to schools for rewiring and upgrading their buildings; 10 additional wiring staff • Additional offerings such as security systems

7. Past Goals and Initiatives • Member Services • Acquired use of eSchoolMall for KPC members for online procurement • Expansion of KPC to OVEC districts • OVEC districts were already using eSchoolMall • Accommodated continuing regional bids • Expansion of KPC to WKEC districts • Adding individual districts to KPC; only a few Kentucky districts are not members of KPC

8. KPC Membership

9. Past Goals and Initiatives • KEDC Facilities: • Completion of KEDC’s Conference Center • Parking Lot project to add 70 parking spaces • Continuing remodeling and upgrade of KEDC kitchen, offices, and physical plant • KEDC Membership: • New Facility Consultant Service (Mark Ryles) • Expanded KEDC membership to 68 districts • Reduction of KEDC membership fees thru rebates of KPC vendor fees

10. KEDC Membership

11. Upcoming Goals and Initiatives • Support for implementation of the new assessment systems and related Senate Bill 1 initiatives • Continued support of Instructional Rounds in districts and schools • Continued support and development of Leadership Schools and teaching student responsibility

12. Upcoming Goals and Initiatives • Aspiring Principal Programs; regional and in-district • Coaching/mentoring of young or struggling principals • Being a sounding board for superintendents, especially new superintendents • Pursuit of grants for KEDC and members

13. Proposed Strategic Goals • Make every customer, employee, and partner a “Raving Fan” by building relationships, being responsive, and bringing results • Be Financially Self-Sufficient • Increase Employee and Organizational Capacity to better serve customers faced with reduced capacity and resources

14. Why an Associate Director now? • As resources dwindle and PD funds are cut the districts need strong instructional support services and consultants which this person will develop and lead • Our superintendents, principals, and others need the support of a strong person who has walked in their shoes

15. Why an Associate Director now? • Growth of KEDC business services demand more attention of the Executive Director • Growth of KEDC instructional services demand an administrator who has successfully dealt with these issues in a school district • KEDC’s needs a plan for sustaining progress; organizations succeed best when bench strength planning is given careful thought

16. How does KEDC compare to other cooperatives? • KEDC has 68 member school districts • GRREC has 34 members and has an Associate Director; they created the position for the same reasons I have outlined; they were fortunate to have chosen a strong person as Associate Director and were able to promote him to succeed Liz Storey on her retirement • OVEC and CKEC have similar positions

17. Candidate Selection • Input from the Executive Committee or other board members on the selection would be welcome including sitting in on interviews in person or via teleconference

18. Objection!! • “Stan is just trying to pick his successor!” • Stan is in no hurry to go out the door! This position is needed so Stan can still be effective for KEDC for several years to come if the board so chooses. • I would never promise a candidate for this position that they would succeed me. • This would hopefully give the board at least one internal candidate trained with knowledge of the business who could hit the ground running. • This board would have seen this person in action in the coop to know if they should be considered.

19. Objection!! • “Stan is just trying to pick his successor!” • Rocky Wallace held a similar position at KEDC before he obtained his doctorate. If he had stayed then I am sure he would have been considered to succeed me. • EKEDC was formed with three positions - Executive Director, an Assistant Director, and a secretary • Stan Riggs held the position of Assistant to the Director when chosen as Executive Director • Don’t most school districts strive to have someone on the bench so they can hire from with-in?

20. Objection!! • “Districts are cutting budgets – how can you think of adding staff now?!?” • When the districts have less capacity and resources is exactly the time when the cooperative should be prepared with more capacity to provide PD, consulting, coaching, and to otherwise fill the gap. • KEDC is fortunate to not be affected by cuts in state funds; our business funds are growing

21. Objection!! • “KEDC doesn’t need this position!!” • See above for why this position is needed plus - • KEDC’s staff and services have doubled in the past three years; additional management and leadership capacity is needed • This position will provide knowledge, strengths and experience that the Executive Director does not possess and will complement an already strong leadership team • The districts need strong leadership from KEDC • To stall KEDC’s growth now would be a mistake

22. Objection!! • “If KEDC has extra funds then reduce our membership fees!!” • Membership fees have not been brought up as a concern until this position was proposed • Due to the rebates 24 districts pay less than $1000 for membership; 12 pay no fees; only 16 pay more than $3000 • We should look at restructuring fees to help our smaller districts cope with the budget cuts

23. Recommendation • Your Executive Director strongly recommends that the board approve creation of the position of Associate Director