Kentucky Monthly
January 2005
A Man of Vision
Michael B. McCall, president of the Kentucky Community and
Technical College System, is our Kentuckian of the year for his dynamic and
progressive leadership
One of the sad facts about Kentucky is its reputation as a place where students
don't go to college or don't finish if they get there. It's not an image that
suits Michael McCall. He was hired in 1997 to increase the number of Kentuckians
who complete a college degree or use college to re tool their career goals -
for keeping a job or finding a better one.
It hasn't been easy, but for the major strides he's empowered, McCall was selected
Kentuckian of the Year for 2004.
"I am honored to have been selected for this most prestigious recognition,"
he said. "The success of KCTCS is because of the talents and contributions
of many other Kentuckians. Because of their support, these last six years have
been the most rewarding of my professional career."
McCall was tapped to take a collection of schools across the Commonwealth and
give them a new identity. Community colleges, formerly under the umbrella of
the University of Kentucky, and most technical schools were re grouped in 1997
as the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
Not everyone liked the switch. Breaking up is hard to do. But McCall points
out that though community college students' diplomas no longer bear the seal
of the Commonwealth's land-grant institution they have something as good, maybe
better - the mark of the largest school system in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System - all 16 schools and 65
campuses of it - lumped together is a behemoth. It's a border to border network
linking more than 80,000 students. It's bigger than most land grant universities
anywhere in the country.
Problem is, size of a school isn't all that gets people to enroll. And whatever
it is that's kept people away from college in Kentucky - numbers of the population
living at or below poverty level, dependence on outdated farm or coal mine lifestyles,
lack of college tradition - still has a firm grip.
It's left Kentucky far behind the national average for students enrolling in
and completing any coursework beyond high school. Only about 45 percent of Kentucky's
high school graduates enter college. Nationally, about 65 percent do, according
to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.
McCall wants to see Kentucky's numbers up in the college entry category - particularly
at community and technical colleges. And he knows how to bring the people in.
He's been a leader in those kinds of schools, at some level, for more than 30
years. He's faced struggles with them in South Carolina and Virginia, and one
of the ways he helped turn things around in each location was to change the
way people thought about community and technical school education.
"He gave us the image that we're not just a technical institution,"
recalled Edward Bethea, director of public relations and marketing for Florence
Darlington Technical College in South Carolina. McCall served there in the early
1990s and hired Bethea to fill what was at that time a one person office. At
first, Bethea did the writing, the graphics design, the filing and contact legwork
- everything.
Within four years, McCall saw to it that the public relations office at Florence
Darlington had a staff of four. Bethea sees a correlation between McCall's push
for better visibility for Florence Darlington and what he described as rapid
growth in the school's programs and enrollment.
McCall thinks like an advertising strategist. Liabilities? Nah. They're opportunities.
Faced with trying to build interest in the study of communications and theater
in Virginia, McCall persuaded a movie company to buy in, said Patsy Joyner,
vice president for institutional advancement at Paul D. Camp Technical College.
McCall, as president at Paul D. Camp, got the company to build a complex that
would hold classrooms and other learning space for communications students.
When the movie company pulled out - potentially killing the plan - the excitement
didn't just go away. McCall had a new building and the admiration of people
who saw his gutsy idea as a sign of kinetic energy in the school he was leading.
"One of the things I've always done is look for strategic alliances,"
said McCall. And when they don't work, he said, you try something else. The
point, he added, is to never quit trying.
In Kentucky, McCall has been selling college to unconvinced people by packaging
it not as lectures, books and tests, but tough, paycheck empowering time well
spent. That means practical stuff - like training auto workers for Magna International,
a Canadian auto-parts maker, in the Warren County Technology Center.
The sales job also includes distance-learning systems so desirable they draw
students from across the border in West Virginia. KCTCS trains and recertifies
heroes - firefighters who save lives here and even travel out of state to assist
in major disasters. And it prepares nurses for job vacancies so massive that
some states are considering shipping nurses in from other countries.
Most importantly, McCall is seeing to it that these kinds of programs don't
just result in certificates anymore. They bring degrees from accredited community
and technical colleges - degrees that students increasingly are using as stepping
stones to four year degrees.
But all that takes money. The bills have to be paid and when they're not, classes
have to be cancelled - something that's happening from Ashland to Somerset to
Henderson. A setback? "You don't change everything because you don't have
any money," McCall said, explaining that resources can be shifted from
one area to another. "You have to keep focusing on the vision." And
hire lobbyists in Washington, D.C.
How badly under funded are Kentucky's community and technical colleges? It's
tough to say. Technical programs such as nursing are costly to run. Humanities
courses at community colleges are cheaper, but they're not free.
Fact is, there are few systems with which to compare dollar for dollar and
program for program with KCTCS, said George Boggs, president of the American
Association of Community Colleges. Only Minnesota, the Carolinas, Virginia,
Wisconsin and Louisiana come close. That's why it's not hard to understand McCall's
$320,000 salary and benefits package. Yes, it's higher than any other comparable
position in the Southeast. But the question is what is comparable. McCall oversees
an annual budget of $569 million.
This year's salary study for college and university administrators by the Chronicle
of Higher Education shows an increasing number of university presidents around
the nation - 17 this year - earning upwards of half a million dollars annually.
And they oversee a handful of campuses, if that many.
McCall has gained a national reputation as a visionary. He takes over this
July as chair of the board of directors of the American Association of Community
Colleges, a nationally elected position. One of his tasks will be to keep the
plight of community and technical colleges at eye level for legislators on Capitol
Hill and with the top leaders in the U.S. Department of Education and other
federal agencies.
Daunting task? Norma Kent, vice-president for communications for the National
Council of State Directors of Community Colleges, said McCall is up to it because
he's a "glass half full" kind of leader. Tom Layzell, president of
the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, calls McCall an "articulate
exponent" of what community and technical colleges are - and can be. What
takes people by surprise is how McCall makes sure as many people as possible
get included in the solutions. "He knows how to bring groups to consensus
without doing harm to the human dimension," said Jesus Carreon, chancellor
of the Dallas County Community College System. Gov. Ernie Fletcher called McCall
a leader of energy and vision.
What's McCall's secret?
"First you deal with the facts, then you deal with people," McCall
said. "You present your case in a strong way."
The last part is what people remember most about him, he's been told, when
it comes to his passion for community and technical colleges. "I just believe
in it," said McCall.
It's a faith that's infectious.
Messenger-Inquirer
January 6, 2005
Editorial: General Assembly facing several challenges
The catch phrase in today's accountability-driven world of education is "that
which is not assessed is not important.
"This isn't entirely true, of course. A great many factors go into the
learning process and the development of children that don't necessarily show
up on an accountability test. But the general thrust is a useful one -- that
there should be standards by which we measure successes and failures, progress
or stagnation.
With that in mind, we thought it would be beneficial to apply this theory to
the 2005 General Assembly. Granted, keeping score in a legislative session can
be a difficult chore, as political wins and losses are too often confused with
actual gains in public policy.
But there should be a way to measure just how effective our elected officials
have been in helping Kentucky make progress toward its goals. The following
list is just a few of the issues by which the success or failure of this legislative
session could be judged.
-- Pass a budget. This is strictly a pass-fail course. There are no grades
to hand out, no labels of novice or distinguished. Simply put, if legislators
leave Frankfort once again without passing a budget, the session will be a failure.
-- Modernize the tax code. If not as important as passing a budget, tax reform
is a close second. Gov. Ernie Fletcher has framed the discussion with a legitimate
proposal he made last year. It's now time for Democrats to quit stalling, to
quit trying to deny Fletcher this feather in his cap, and work toward a compromise
that will bring meaningful reform. As part of this process, the time has finally
come for Kentucky to generate needed revenue through an increase in the cigarette
tax, which is the nation's lowest.
-- Restore the commitment to education. Despite all the talk about the importance
of education, there's no denying that the commitment to allocating the necessary
dollars has waned in recent years. Circumstances may dictate that not everything
can be accomplished this year -- for example, Fletcher has already said it's
unlikely he'll be able to achieve his goal of significantly raising teacher
salaries in this session. But when he talks about rekindling the fire for education,
that should not only be a directive to teachers and administrators, but legislators
as well.
-- Address the failing Medicaid system. Take away the usual political posturing,
and this may be the single greatest barrier to getting a budget passed. But
it's abundantly clear that Kentucky can't sustain the current system. Closing
a shortfall in excess of $500 million will be a challenge, but what's really
needed are serious discussions on what Medicaid will look like -- and how it
will be funded -- in the years to come.
-- Deliver on your promises. Specifically, find the funding for Owensboro's
advanced technology center. This community has been told for years it could
expect funding for such a center. In the meantime, we've watched opportunities
to improve work force training and to be at the front of the advanced manufacturing
movement go by the wayside.
There are other areas as well, expanded gambling, medical malpractice reform,
tackling substance abuse and making Kentucky a healthier state, to name just
a few, where legislative action is also needed.
That's a lot to get done in a short session, but Kentucky's long- and short-term
future depends on the ability of the General Assembly to meet these challenges.
Wayne County Outlook
December 22, 2004
Somerset Community College Recognized as Second Largest Test Center in Kentucky
Jay D. Wilson, Chief General Equivalency Diploma (GED) examiner at Somerset
Community College, and Greg Fryman, Dean of Community and Economic Development,
recently attended the Kentucky GED Examiners Conference at the Marriott Griffin
Gate Resort in Lexington, Kentucky. This is an annual conference to update all
examiners on new regulatory amendments, contracts, security agreements and GED
forms.
B. J. Helton, State GED Administrator, presented the GED statistics for the
calendar year 2003. Somerset Community College ranked second in the state for
the number of examinees, testing 828, while Jefferson Community College ranked
first, testing 1,732. Of the 828 tested by SCC, 510 individuals or 61% received
their GED.
"We are very proud of our testing center and the addendum sites we serve,"
said Wilson. "Our testing center not only serves Pulaski County, but also
seven surrounding counties, five detention centers, and one Jobs Corps Center."
Wilson continued, "We appreciate so much the efforts of the adult education
providers in these counties and the excellent job they are doing with recruiting
and preparing individuals for the GED exam. Without their hard work, SCC's Testing
Center would not have experienced this success or be ranked number two in the
state for numbers tested."
According to David Wiles, Chief Community, Workforce and Economic Development
Officer, "Jay Wilson is recognized across the region as an outstanding
GED test administrator."
Donna Fallahay is the GED Administrative Assistant.
The GED Testing Center is a part of the Community and Workforce Development
Division at SCC. The GED Testing Center is located on the Somerset Campus South.
For more information contact Fallahay at (606) 677-4049, ext. 168.
Courier-Journal
January 6, 2005
Study gives CATS another 'A'
Kentucky's testing program gets an A for quality and effectiveness, but the
state has earned only a passing grade for its financial commitment to education,
according to a national study released yesterday.
The journal Education Week reviewed testing, funding and other issues, such
as teacher quality, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
It rated Kentucky's Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, or CATS, among
the nine best in the nation, praising its use of open-ended essay questions
and its testing of students at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Other states receiving an A for their testing systems were Florida, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia.
Indiana received an A-minus.
Lisa Gross, a spokeswoman at the Kentucky Department of Education, said state
officials are pleased that the system maintained the A it has received the past
two years.
But she said officials are concerned that the state does not fare as well when
it comes to providing schools the money needed to meet education goals.
"It correlates pretty well with what the department has said, and with
what the board has said, and what other people in the state have said about
Kentucky public education, which is it is not funded at a high-enough level,"
Gross said.
According to the study, Kentucky spends $7,296 per pupil, which is less than
the national average and ranks 36th. The state ranked 40th in the amount of
total taxable resources spent on education.
Studies commissioned by the state Education Department in 2003 determined that
Kentucky needs to spend between $750million and $2.3billion more annually for
schools to reach state goals.
A coalition of school districts also has filed a lawsuit against the General
Assembly, alleging that legislators have not funded education properly.
Bob Sexton, executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence,
a nonprofit advocacy group based in Lexington, said it is encouraging to see
Kentucky doing well in accountability and teacher quality. But funding continues
to be a problem.
"What struck me again was how our ranking and our school funding just
keeps falling behind," Sexton said. "It's one more solid piece of
evidence that we've got to deal with adequate investment in education."
Indiana spends $8,274 per pupil, placing it 18th among the states, according
to the report. It ranked 10th for the total taxable resources spent on education.
In addition to their testing systems, both Kentucky and Indiana were praised
for their efforts in improving teacher quality through testing and teacher preparation.
Each state received a B-plus.
The report was less complimentary when it came to school climate, giving both
states C's.
Kentucky's grade was based largely on its lack of school choice, specifically
in the form of charter schools, which are publicly funded but controlled by
a group of administrators, teachers and parents. Only Kentucky and Alabama have
neither a charter law nor a system of open enrollment, the report said.
State officials took issue with the criticism.
"They don't take into consideration the fact that we do have school-based
decision-making, which is local control," Gross said. "We don't get
any credit for that."
Kentucky also lost points because of lack of parent involvement and classroom
misbehavior.
The state did get points for sending report cards to parents that include information
on school safety, parent involvement and class size.
Indiana's school-climate ranking was based in part on the fact that it does
not provide funding for capital outlay or school construction, and doesn't track
the condition of school facilities.
The report also noted that the Center for Education Reform dropped the state's
grade for its charter-school law to a B.
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