Education

The University of Tennessee at Martin rodeo program has received a $100,000 donation to fund scholarships for the state's only college rodeo. A charity founded by former Allegro Fine Foods chairman Dave Wilcox has pledged $20,000 a year in scholarships for the next five years. Wilcox was a fixture on the local rodeo scene until his death in 2011. The Betsy Ross Foundation, the charity he named in honor of his late wife, is donating the money.  The donation is the largest gift to rodeo in UT Martin's history.

 "The Wonder of Learning - The Hundred Languages of Children" is an exhibition of the infant-toddler Centers and Preschools of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy, at the Henderson Community College Fine Arts Center. This Thursday through Saturday there's a conference featuring speakers from the schools of Reggio Emilia, and it's still open for attendance. Kate Lochte asked Murray State College of Education's Dr. Jo Robertson, Chair of Early Childhood and Elementary Education to explain what the Reggio Emilia philosophy of Education is about. See more about The Wonder of Learning.

The May first edition of the Wall Street Journal included an article by Stephanie Banchero entitled "Learning Goals Spur Backlash." To find out about if there's been any backlash from adopting the Common Core standards in Kentucky schools, we sought an overview from The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, the state's private, non-profit advocacy group for all levels of public education. Kate Lochte speaks with its Executive Director Dr. Stu Silberman. 

Murray State President Randy Dunn has been selected to be Youngstown State University's next president. The Youngstown State Board of Trustees authorized board Chair Sudershan Garg and Vice Chair John Jakubek to negotiate and execute an employment contract with Dunn. Garg emphasized that the appointment is not final until contract terms can be reached. 

South Christian Elementary school is closing early today due to a power outage. Christian County Public Schools spokesperson Heather Aubin says the power outage can’t be fixed during the school day, but she expects workers will resolve the issue by Monday.