This years's Winter Conference Hotel is the Lexington Embassy Suites. You may register for the Hotel by Calling 859-455-5000, ask for the KASSP WinterConference Rate. Deadline for receiving the discounted rate is January 18, 2012. 

This past summer as your state coordinator, I had the opportunity to attend the NASSP Advocacy Conference in Arlington Virginia.  The first day we met with representatives from the U.S. Department of Education and several other education groups lobbying for our interests in Congress. That evening we met with Amanda Karhuse and Mary Kingston, NASSP’s directors of government relations.

The next morning we traveled to Capitol Hill where I met with the education aides for Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul and Representative Brett Guthrie.  Once again we tried to share our concern for better accountability standards, turnaround models that arbitrarily fire principals, and cutting the education budget to lower the national debt.  The House ESEA bill (H.R. 1891) that has just been approved along party lines calls for an 18% reduction in education funding next year.  All of this is occurring at the same time when principals are faced with new accountability measures from our own state! 

I will try to keep you updated periodically on the political scene in Washington and the Department of Education.  It is important that we stay up with the issues as well as being heard in Frankfort and Capitol Hill. The NASSP website makes it easy to contact your congressmen with their Principal’s Legislative Action Center (PLAC) link.  You can use PLAC to contact your state and federal representatives and let them know how their work affects you as a principal.  You will also find draft letters and suggestions for contacting your legislators. 

As former Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.”  I know how busy we all get; however, as often as you can, write letters, invite your legislators to visit, and stay informed on the issues.  Have a great year and feel free to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 502 348-8594. 

Elmer Thomas, Principal of Madison Central High School in Richmond, Kentucky has been selected as the 2011 KASSP Principal of the Year. This is Elmer's 23rd year in education. He has been a Spanish teacher for 14 years, an assistant principal for two years, six years principal of Boyle Co. High School, and now in his first year as principal at Madison Central High School.

Mr. Thomas has spent his time as Principal focusing on building relationships, challenging students to take more rigorous curriculum, and raising efficacy in teachers by having them focus on College Readiness Standards and Assessment for Learning. He has worked at structuring committees so that teachers, students, staff, and community have a better voice in school decisions. He presented "Hpw to Effectively Communicate through Committees" at the Fall 2008 KASSP Conference.

Mr. Thomas has recently focused on Madison Central's Indian Outreach - a staff driven program to identify Madison Central's most isolated students and partner them with a caring adult at MCHS. An extension of this program helped provide Christmas to 110 MCHS students.

Elmer will represent Kentucky in the National Principal of the Year competition sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Mr. Thomas' wife Marla is a middle school Guidance Counselor and they have two children, Lauren (14) and Matthew (9).

Tracey Lamb, Principal of North Bullitt High School, has been chosen by the KASSP Board of Director's as the 2011 recipient of the Dawson Orman Award. This award is named after Dawson Orman the longtime Executive Director of KASSP. Dawson was known as a visionary in the area of school leadership. He believed that the Principal was instrumental in the improvement of Education and creating a posiitive environment for all students in their respective schools. Dawson worked diligently to enhance the principalship knowing this would help Kentucky's schools and students. KASSP awards this honor yearly to a Principal that best exhibits Dawson Orman's work ethic and vision.

Ms. Lamb has served as Principal of Bourbon Co. High School, Grant Co. High School and North Bullitt High School. Tracey also taught for many years in the Fayette County system. She has established innovative programs in her schools in the areas of Freshman Academies, Credit Recovery, and New Teacher Training and Mentoring. Tracey also works very hard at establishing a positive environment for her students and staff. Tracey Lamb demonstrates the ideals of educational leadership fostered by Dawson Orman every day.

The Kentucky Association would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Tracey Lamb on being this years Dawson Orman Award winner.

Chad Buckman, Assistant Principal at Zoneton Middle School in Bullitt County has been selected as the KASSP Assistant Principal of the Year. Chad has been in education for ten years, seven years as a science teacher and the last three years as an assistant principal. Chad was chosen for this honor by a selection committee from the KASSP Board of Director's and honored at the Awards Banquet at the January 2011 KASSP Assistant Principal's Conference at the Lexington Embassy Suites.

Mr. Buckman has been very active in starting new and inovative programs at Zoneton Middle School. He has very successsfully help start a Bullying Prevention Program. This program has become a model for many Middle Schools across Kentucky. Another program Chad has help start is an Early Awareness Program for Potential Dropouts. These programs as well as Chad's positive attitude has helped Zoneton Middle School to be recognized as one of the top Middle Schools in this area.

Chad will represent Kentucky in the Virco/NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year contest.

The Kentucky Association of Secondary School Principals Staff, Officers, Board of Directors and members would like to congratulate Chad Buckman for being Kentucky's 2011 Assistant Principal of the Year.

Starting Tuesday, October 19, KASSP fax number will be 859-236-7220. This should clear up all of our problems with the fax, voice mail, phone and DSL. Thanks for your patience as we make this change to better serve the Principals of Kentucky.

 VISIT THE NEW NASSP WEBSITE - WWW.PRINCIPALS.ORG