Al Smith, a founding member of the Prichard Committee, died on Friday, March 19, at his home in Florida after suffering renal failure. He was 94.
Smith was appointed in 1980 as an original member of the Committee on Higher Education in Kentucky’s Future. After issuing its report the following year and seeking change, the group recast itself in 1983 as the Prichard Committee, a non-profit citizens group focused on K-12 improvements.
The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is seeking currently enrolled and prospective college students – high school seniors, or adults considering continuing their education – to help measure the impacts of COVID-19 on Kentucky’s postsecondary community.
Kentucky has made impressive progress in education over the last generation. Unfortunately, as shown in our 2020 Big Bold Future Annual Rankings Report, we have hit a plateau and are moving backwards in some key areas – from preschool to postsecondary – with persistent gaps for those historically underserved.
The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence has five requests for the 2021 Kentucky General Assembly that we believe will present a vision of a Big Bold Future where every Kentuckian can thrive, contribute to, and benefit from our shared progress as a state.
As we work toward Kentucky’s Big Bold Future, the Prichard Committee is considering implications for key groups within our commonwealth. Today, it is time to focus specifically on Latino Kentucky. The future we seek will require Latino talents and contributions and building that future will require sustained attention to Latino concerns and Latino success.
Here’s a first image to show us three big things about los estudiantes latinos de Kentucky.
A medida que trabajamos hacia el Gran Futuro Audaz de Kentucky, el Comité Prichard está considerando las implicaciones para los grupos clave dentro de nuestra colectividad. Hoy, es el momento de centrarse específicamente en la comunidad latina de Kentucky. El futuro que buscamos requerirá de talentos y contribuciones latinas y construir ese futuro requerirá de una atención continua a las preocupaciones y al éxito de ellos.
A continuación se muestra la primera imagen con tres aspectos importantes de los estudiantes latinos de Kentucky.
Following President & CEO Brigitte Blom Ramsey’s initial statement on today’s Grand Jury decision in the case of Breonna Taylor, the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence issued the following statement about building justice and racial equity in the Kentucky public education system:
What a life changing time these past three months have been! And I’m not just talking about the pandemic! I am now the proud parent of a beautiful baby girl—and now I have to return to work. I thought I had child care figured out, but the center just closed the infant room because a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Now what am I supposed to do? I’ve called other child care centers in the area, but no one has an opening for an infant!