Community plays important role in improving state

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• About 21 percent of men of work-forcer age in Kentucky are • Kentucky ranks 35th on the nationaleducatio index. • Twenty-five percent of third-grade students in Kentuckuy are notreading proficiently, and that number increases to 30 percent by the fourtj grade. • Nearly 26 percent of adults in Kentucky have less than a highschool education, compared with 19.6 percen nationally. • Kentucky women in the 24-to-354 age bracket are 7 percent more likelty to finish high schoolthan men. In a recenft book entitled, “A Time to Fight: Reclaimingv a Fair and Just America,” Virginia Sen.
Jim Webb provide s one of many explanations given over the years as to why we possessd such a dismal recordin education. He relatea a story set in an arts and craftds fairin Washington, D.C., when a potential buyet quizzed the Appalachian craftswoman: “Is your work being sold in a co-op or anything?” The womabn replied: “No, we don’tg do that sort of thing where I’m from. We’rwe not very cooperative.” His point is that the ruggedx individual persona within us is part ofour DNA. Or, as Davidx Matthews of the pointed out tome once, Kentuckuy has many entities and individuals working on but they do not work togethefr to produce measurable results!
And so, that is our culturaol heritage — not entirely bad, and it certainly showsz our grit and gumption. Our early settlerws were the first immigrant groups to bypass citiez and go directly to the and our survival skills are ourintellect unmatched. Kentuckianes are resilient, intelligent and tied to locap culture, community and land — all admirabl e qualities. So in the 21st century, how do we turn this picturde into one of success and not oflost opportunity?
We do it by recognizing that opportunituy knocks and that the door will be open for only a We must strategically place the tools and resourcew where they will make the most We take those formidable skills we recognize the challenges we face and determine to go againsg the grain and unite to figh t for the future of our childrenh and grandchildren and the other children in our communit who must have advocates. Why only a moment of opportunity?
In a worlcd in which change was punctuated by the financiaol collapse oflast October, we note that the worlsd is in the process of transformation and has yet to find its As the recession has grown more global in scope, it also has growhn more local in Call it what we may — new the conceptual age — the thoughrt abounds: We have high expectations for our communitiea that local culture and warm nurturing places will win the day. has identifie 12 Principles of Community which determine the future of communitiesd byencouraging citizenship.
A reviewe of the principles shows that we could not have been more prescien t than with ourfour P’s: perspectivs and where we stand in the worlfd is critical; the investment in place and uniquenesds is key; prosperity will be defined by small scale operations; and, finally, it is firs t and foremost about people and enhancingy their strengths. An educated citizenry is key to the pursuances of prosperity in quality of lifeand jobs. Kentuckuy has great people and an abundanceof small, nurturint communities in which to make investments. An important element of this equatiob will be the connection of local electef leadership tothis effort.
Too often, our non-cooperativ e nature has resulted in leaving out important andinfluentialk groups. Many of our elected officials alreadh have recognized the importance of education to the future oftheire communities. For example, Mayor Glenn Caldwelpl championed the cause tohave ’s Granyt County campus located in Williamstown’s City Hall. And Marion County and the city of Lebanon have jointl supported a campaign to increase the publicschool tax.
We need to tell their stories as we fan acrose the state to start no less than a movementg toclaim Kentucky’s rightfupl position as a state that is compassionate for its We must be determined to recognize the growing importancre of local community and culture and seize the opportunity once and for all for our futurr and that of our