Valarie Honeycutt-Spears
Lexington Herald-Leader
Lexington, KY, United States
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Past articles by Valarie:
Fayette schools won’t increase lunch prices in 2017-2018
Fayette County Public Schools received a waiver from the Kentucky Department of Education so that the district will not have to raise school lunch prices in 2017-18 as planned → Read More
Fidget spinners are a craze in Lexington stores and schools. Have you seen one yet?
Fidget spinners are wildly popular right now. Cool toy, learning tool or distraction? → Read More
Dunbar basketball player collapses during open gym at school, dies
Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Star Ifeacho, 15, collapsed during an open gym at the school and died Wednesday afternoon. → Read More
Kentucky schools facing several new laws this year. Here’s a list
Kentucky public school students, teachers and officials will have to adjust to several new laws passed in the 2017 General Assembly. → Read More
Elementary teacher placed on leave for showing video with sexual innuendo
Fleming County Superintendent Brian K. Creasman said that a teacher has been placed on leave after an inappropriate video was shown in several Spanish classrooms at E.P. Ward Elementary School and Ewing Elementary School. → Read More
Fayette County recruiting bilingual teachers in Puerto Rico
Some principals from Fayette County Schools recently went to Puerto Rico to recruit bilingual educators. → Read More
Sayre School to break ground on nearly $10 million building
Lexington’s private Sayre School will break ground on a nearly $10 million building for lower grades at 10:30 a.m. April 13 → Read More
Fayette school board may challenge Kentucky’s charter school law
Fayette County Public Schools board member Doug Barnett, an attorney, says school district officials should consider challenging the constitutionality of the law that will allow charter schools in Kentucky for the first time. → Read More
Fayette County sets last day of school year, graduation schedule
Friday, May 19, will be the last day of classes in Fayette County Public Schools. High school graduations will be held in Rupp Arena on May 24 and May 25. → Read More
Jessamine County school board said ‘No’ to redistricting. Now what?
Jessamine County School officials are looking at redistricting options pitched by parents after a school board vote to change school assignment zones failed. → Read More
Bevin signs charter school bill; teacher petition demands apology
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has signed a bill Tuesday that would allow charter schools in Kentucky for the first time. More than 750 people as of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday had signed an online petition asking Gov. Matt Bevin to apologize for accusing charter school opponents of lying and questioning their motives during his testimony earlier this month before the state House Education Committee. → Read More
Walgreens loses tax lawsuit that could have cost Kentucky schools millions
The Kentucky Supreme Court declined this month to hear an appeal brought by Walgreens Co., presumably ending a longstanding legal battle between the pharmacy chain and Fayette County officials that threatened to strip hundreds of millions of dollars from Kentucky’s school districts. → Read More
Parents oppose Jessamine County school redistricting proposal
Jessamine County, redistricting, schools, Public Schools, jessamine, east jessamine, west jessamine, Rosenwald-Dunbar Elementary School, Virginia Mims, Brookside Elementary, West Jessamine High School, East Jessamine High School → Read More
Fayette schools, home-school families seek testing arrangement
Fayette County Public Schools seek an arrangement with home-school students on offering them Advanced Placement and other tests. → Read More
Kentucky charter schools are a signature away. What happens next?
Now that charter schools in Kentucky are awaiting only the signature of Gov. Matt Bevin, school boards and mayors in Lexington and Louisville could be accepting charter school applications in the 2017-18 school year. Educators, school and government officials and the staff of education groups are already getting in position to deal with charter schools in the state for the first time. → Read More
Charter school bill gets Senate approval; House must consider changes
Kentucky is on the verge of joining 43 other states to have charter schools. The state Senate signed off on a bill late Wednesday afternoon allowing charter schools and sent the measure to the House. → Read More
How to get UK basketball tickets for the 2017 NCAA Tournament
Tickets are on sale for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis from Thursday through March 19, according to the University of Kentucky Ticket office. → Read More
Fayette County graduation rate is among bottom 15 Kentucky districts
Fayette County’s four-year graduation rate of 83.2 percent trails the statewide average rate of 88.6 percent. Fayette’s rate was 12th lowest among Kentucky’s school districts. → Read More
Bill would tighten rules on student athletes suffering concussions
Kentucky public school athletes with concussions could not return to play without a specially trained medical professional’s written consent. → Read More
School calendar bill gets final approval in Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky House of Representatives Wednesday gave final approval to Senate Bill 50, which would allow calendar flexibility for school districts that start the school year no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26. → Read More