>> Too many kids in the state that cannot read proficiently.

>> A Kentucky reporter investigates why some Kentucky kids can't read.

♪ >> Students coming from campus come out here.

Grow food goes back to campus.

>> What's a little different from typical food court fan?

A new program is showing college students just all good food is fresh from the farm.

>> It's great to see so many talent to a creation >> and pumpkin, is taking over one university campus.

>> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Monday, October, the TWENTY-FOURTH, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending part of your Monday night with us.

A new report is giving us a better look at how much COVID-19 disrupted learning in the classroom.

>> It shows math and reading scores for 4th and 8th graders declined in most states during the pandemic.

Kentucky is no exception.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress released the nation's report card today.

It shows math scores for 4th graders in Kentucky fell 5 points this year compared to 2019 Kentucky 8th graders saw a bigger decline in math scores.

They were down 9 points nationally.

The average score declines in math for 4th and 8th graders were the largest ever recorded in that subject.

Reading scores for Kentucky.

4th graders were down 4 points, although down this course slightly better than the national average.

That's not true for 8th graders in Kentucky.

Their reading scores fell by 5 points this year.

Today's report card comes less than a week after the state released its own assessment.

Those results show less than half of Kentucky students are reading proficiently and now an eye-opening investigative report by The Courier Journal shows Kentucky teachers are using the best practices to teach reading our Casey Parker Bell spoke with Courier Journal investigative reporter Mandy McLaren about her five-part series on Kentucky's literacy crisis called between the Lines.

♪ >> Mandy, when we say literacy crisis, what you mean by that?

>> It's honestly just like it sounds there, too many kids in the state that cannot read proficiently and it was a problem even before the pandemic.

And it's clearly worse.

Now before the pandemic, roughly 150,000 kids couldn't meet the state's own bar for reading proficiency.

And those numbers have only grown worse after the pandemic interrupted student learning.

And as we know that when children can't read think are up to be adults that can't read and across the state right now, there are only 2 counties where on average adults are reading proficiently.

So it is a real crisis.

>> Mandy, how did we get to this place?

Were a lot of people in Kentucky don't have to read.

>> Well, it starts in school, right?

And what I looked into in the series was how did we get to this place?

What's going on in classrooms and what I found out is across the state, teachers are being trained in what's called the science of reading the science of reading is an exhaustive body of research that really nails down with science with brain scans, how humans learn to read when teachers aren't being taught about the science of reading and their teacher training programs in college.

That means that they're not taking that knowledge into the classrooms with them when it comes to actually sitting down with 5, 6 year-old seven-year olds and teaching them how to read.

Instead, a lot of teachers have been trained in a method that is not backed by science and can actually encourage students to pick up the habits of bad readers.

>> How do we better teach students have Curry?

>> Well, it starts with teachers, right?

They're going to control everything that happens when you send your child off to school and they spend the entire day in a classroom.

And so the Kentucky Department of Education right now is offering this training called letters.

And I won't get into the afternoon for you, but it essentially is going to teach educators across the state, the science behind reading and how to apply that in their classrooms.

Now, this all came about through something this past spring called the read to succeed at.

But one thing that national experts have faulted the law for is that it's not making this training mandatory.

It's optional.

So if you only have a couple of teachers at your school, maybe even just one teacher who is coming back into their classroom with this knowledge, great for their classroom.

But what about the rest?

The kids in the school?

>> One of the things you mentioned in your story is the gap between rich families and poor families and how rich or families are able to get help.

Could you talk about?

Why this gap is so wide and how it might help by changing the teaching of reading in class.

>> Yeah, I think this gets into one of the specific pieces of this problem, which is dyslexia and the reading crisis is to be clear, more than dyslexia.

But it is definitely a piece of Researchers at this point estimate that up to one in 5 children have the neurological disorder.

And if a parent doesn't realize that if a teacher doesn't realize that and it's very difficult to give them what they need in order to become a successful reader and it's possible brain scans even prove that that a dyslexic brain can be rewired.

And so it's happening in this divide between the wealthy and the poor.

Is that?

More than its parents, they can go to a private evaluation and pay a couple $1000 to see what's going on.

They can put their child in tutoring.

They can pull their child to a special private school for kids with learning disabilities.

A parent that I talked to and this from my serious, she knows that something's wrong with her kids.

But she does not have that kind of money to do those things.

So she's really relying on the public school system to help figure it out for her.

Unfortunately, she's not getting that help.

>> You can read man does investigative series on literacy, education and Kentucky at Courier Journal Dot Com with the subscription.

Improving health to boost workforce participation is the goal of a plan announced by Governor Andy Beshear last week.

The administration is expanding Medicaid to cover dental vision and hearing care families who are 138% of the federal poverty level.

That's a little more than $38,000 for a family of 4 would qualify children and youth under age.

21 enrolled in Medicare already qualify for these services.

On Friday, I spoke with state health Cabinet Secretary Eric Friedlander about this initiative.

>> I just think its if if you have it to thank or tooth problem, getting that taken care of gets you into work.

If you're having a vision some of us who need more than these readers you to get to work, you need to have that vision corrected and it's the same for hearing, right?

If you if you have hearing issues, you need that in order to be able to get back into the workforce.

And we know we know.

>> Even folks who are in the workforce, these kinds of issues.

Take you out.

You you missed days.

You miss hours and sometimes that makes it hard to stay employed.

So this is something that really supports people going back to work.

It supports their overall health.

>> So how many Kentuckians are we talking about here?

Who would be eligible for this?

>> So they'll be about 900,000 people in Kentucky who currently receive their health care coverage through Medicaid.

>> Who will receive these additional benefit.

>> The governor said on Thursday that this would not have a significant impact on Kentucky's budget.

How much of an impact because there would be an impact on the budget and where would that money come from?

>> First understand Medicaid is about a 15 billion dollar program.

36 million, even though it's a large number to all of us within the context of Medicaid, it is not shy and which is a very strange thing to say.

But the other piece is this.

This is actually part of a good news story a couple years ago.

The General Assembly passed what was called then Senate Bill 50, where we move to a single pharmacy benefit manager.

And I hate to be so far in the weeds, but essentially quickly, we've saved enough money through that program.

2 easily be able to afford this program.

for this expansion on an ongoing basis.

>> Secretary Friedlander, one final question, would the General Assembly have to approve this at any given point?

>> I don't believe so.

The funding is there within the budget.

We're not going outside of the bounds of the funding of the budget.

So this is a simple state plan amendment, which again is in the weeds.

So we do these often.

So this should be I don't believe there really is any need for the General Assembly to to act on this.

However, they will have the opportunity we this will be effective.

January 1st, we're going to follow regulations that will have to go through the process and the General Assembly always has the opportunity to influence the regulations to work with us.

If there's something they don't like.

So while there's not a formal legislative piece to this, there is the regulatory piece that they will be able to look at an impact.

>> Well, we'll KET our eyes on that come January.

First, they go in January.

3rd, I believe may not be the first order of business, but certainly in may end up on the docket somewhere.

Thank you, Secretary Friedlander for being with us today.

We appreciate your time.

>> Thank you.

This is really good news for a lot of Kentucky.

It.

♪ >> And just to be clear, I meant to say Medicaid, not Medicare.

When talking about children.

Now on to some election news, Kentucky voters will have to decide on 2 constitutional amendments on the November 8th Election Amendment one would let the Kentucky General Assembly call itself into special Session Amendment 2 would add language to the Kentucky Constitution stating there's no right to an abortion in Kentucky or the funding of it.

We'll discuss both on Kentucky tonight tonight at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron today released his analysis of the 2 proposed amendments.

He says amendment one does not take away the governor's power to call a special session and it doesn't make being a legislator, a full-time job.

Cameron says the amendment lets the governor and the General assembly determine when the legislature meets.

He says amendment to doesn't ban abortion.

He says that lets that Kentucky General Assembly decide abortion laws.

On the subject of voting.

Tomorrow is the deadline to request an absentee ballot from the online portal and person absentee voting runs through Wednesday through Friday.

Then again from October 31st.

Through November, the socket early voting will take place November 3rd through the 5th.

You do not need an excuse such a sickness or poor health to vote during the early vote period.

A new nationwide Mitt Healing the political divide is starting right here in Kentucky.

Meeting of America is bringing people together to discuss what they have in common.

The online platform uses an algorithm to group people with different backgrounds and beliefs.

Actor and co-founder Andrew Shue sayings.

Once people realize what they agree on, it will be easier to discuss their differences.

>> The opportunity for Americans to take some control back is what's needed.

And so this is a process that allows for the American people to come together, build some trust and then and then join what we're calling kind of a community of of So instead of people tearing each other down on social media, this will be the opportunity to come and have honest discussions where the people themselves set to set the guidelines for how we're going to have our discourse, how we're going to come up with solutions.

We believe that there 70% solutions that 70% of America would agree on.

And most everything from how we vote, what we should be doing with guns and immigration, abortion, all those things and the American people if given the right process could come up with those solutions and then guide us all forward.

>> Meeting of America launched today in Kentucky.

The group is holding virtual meetings all weekend.

There is still time to sign up.

Well, seems have been targeting certain car parts in recent years.

You part about it then selling them for their precious metals.

It became such a problem that the Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill that requires better record keeping to buy and sell these parts.

It increases the penalty for those who don't comply.

>> I've had some break-ins That's what they targeted.

Kind like a murder.

>> We have seen is an incredible increase in the amount of converter thefts.

>> We're pros.

I mean, they have capacity Quitman.

They're very good at what they do.

>> You know, I got to do is crawl under a vehicle with a and a matter of 60 seconds.

They have the part and they're gone.

>> I called early in January.

My constituent, I've County who said Whitney, I just had my catalytic converter in the last day to cut out for my truck in my driveway.

Our church van in the church parking lot ahead.

There's cut outs.

We're seeing.

>> All the way from from small economy cars all the way to large, very large trucks.

>> There's 3 expensive ingredients inside that they ripped it open, MASH it up and split it up.

And it's a high value right now.

Unfortunately.

They do it in mass quantities.

So they're making lots of >> I know what they are.

These things ranged anywhere from.

65 75.

Bucks.

From up to 1400 people.

It's a crime.

It's it's already a felony to steal those things.

Those catalytic converters.

But what we need to do is make sure law enforcement to go after these folks.

Let's make sure there's a good paper trail that you go back and research infant.

Somebody comes in the to sell these.

That's not a registered recycler.

For shop mechanic shop, someone who has a legitimate reason to have them.

Those people should be able to People should build a bomb from the person who steals the heavily covered from your truck or your car in your driveway.

Your church van in the parking lot.

Needs to show they own and have the right to sell that Kelly Converter.

And if they don't, they can't sell it.

And if they still managed to sell it and the junkyard that takes it doesn't adequately KET the right paper trail.

We've enhanced that penalty.

If they don't have a place to go with them, the harder for him to get the money.

The victim in this is the one present.

We don't know if their insurance companies are covering these catalytic converters or are they having to pay out of pocket door?

>> From their business?

And that just seems to be the the biggest problem in my mind is how do these folks recoup their money?

>> He hates a jump out here because the exhaust a super loud and you don't know what's going on in tow.

>> You bring it in or have it towed in and you get it explained that somebody stole something from it.

>> It could be anywhere from 1000 to $5,000, depending on how big the vehicle is.

It's been happening around the state and I wanted to make sure that these tools are there from law enforcement to investigate these cases.

>> And track these people down.

>> Police say you can try to deter a thief by parking in well-lit areas inside of surveillance cameras.

An auto repair shop also tells us you can purchase what's called a catch clap.

It's a kit with heavy duty cables that go over your converter.

The state wants to help cut diesel emissions by helping schools pay to replace aging bosses.

Governor Andy Beshear says school systems and private schools can apply for help through the 2022.

Kentucky, Clean Diesel Grant Grant program the program will reimburse schools up to 25% for the cost of replacement.

A bus.

The schools will have to pay the rest.

The deadline to apply is November.

The 4th.

Will city boss is in Louisville, stop running.

Transit workers authorized a strike last Thursday but didn't go on strike that and 95% of union members voted for strike authorization as contract talks continue.

According to the Courier Journal, the 2 sides will resume talks November, the socket.

The union wants a 6% raise for all workers after one year with raises later in years, 2, 3, and cost of living adjustment every 6 months.

The transit authority calls that, quote on realistic.

♪ For the final time.

Last week, Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton delivered his last state of the Judiciary Address.

Madden is retiring after 14 years leading the state's highest court.

The chief justice laid out how the court system has improved under his tenure, but he says challenges are ahead.

Our Casey Parker Bell was there for Mittens.

Addressing reports on what the chief justice says is in store for Kentucky's courts.

>> It's been a gratifying and at times to Malta's 14 years after working through recession, a pandemic and multiple natural disasters that disrupted the court system.

Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton is hanging up his robe.

He gave his final state of the Judiciary address last week.

Highlighting successes under his tenure and challenges.

The court system will face in the future.

The court system must KET pace with these changes to remain competitive in a challenging job market.

Kentucky's judges earn 20% less than the national average.

Madden says the state needs to raise salaries to remain competitive.

I must sound the alarm about the still lagging salaries of Kentucky's judges.

Their razors have been exceptionally small.

And in frequent over the past 20 years meant and also discussed how the twenty-twenty social justice movement impacted the courts and how they're still work to do.

While the court system has become much more intentional in this approach to these issues, we realize there's much more work that needs to be done.

We will need to prioritize resources and training to strengthen our inclusion and diversity efforts in the years ahead.

And the chief justice since the court system needs to become more resilient.

He says climate change and the recent natural disasters impacting the state show the need for the judiciary to have emergency plans in place with time running out.

We need to escalate emergency planning management planning to reduce future property loss and minimize disruptions in our courts for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker Bell.

>> Thank you.

Casey Shamorie our cart and Kelly Thompson junior are vying to replace him in for the second district.

Kentucky Supreme Court seat.

And this November's general election, the court's justices will elect a new chief justice to a four-year term at the beginning of the year, outgoing chief Justice John Minton is only the second person to be chosen to serve 4 terms as the chief justice.

Some sad news.

a barn stable co-founder of the Barnstable Brown Derby gala has died at the age of 94.

The Lexington Herald-Leader says she died last Friday.

The gala raised more than 17 million dollars used to create and support the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center.

The visitation funeral are planned for November 6th that Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church in Lexington.

♪ >> Students at Western Kentucky University are helping put food on the table.

It's called Farm to campus and it's providing both hands on learning and healthy, high quality food for those on the Hill, dairy meat and produce from the WKU Farm will be served on campus restaurants.

Professor say they hope it will encourage students to better understand where their food comes from.

The program is also helping Western focus on sustainability efforts.

>> This program was really.

>> I'm a big step for us to be able to reduce our carbon footprint because they amount of carbon emissions that happened from the transport of food being a Bush, you suggested to know where your food is coming from.

What is on your food?

You know, as a grown with mask pesticides and herbicides and other types of chemicals or >> can we use what we call best management practices to reduce the use and perhaps in some cases even eliminate all together.

We're going to try to do eliminate the use of any of those products as much as possible.

So it really does contribute to now that the learning aspect, but the health of our students on campus, the sustainability goals that we have as a community and on campus.

So I think it again, it's pretty all encompassing project, which is why several of us are so excited about it.

>> Western says between 30 and 50 students are taking horticulture and agricultural sustainability courses and they'll take part in that program.

Each semester.

♪ From Madison to music to begin says a little bit of everything in tonight.

A look back at this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> Happy birthday to Louisville's famous Brown hotel which opened October 25th 1923. and became the birthplace of one of Kentucky's signature dishes.

The hot brown sandwich, David Lloyd, George, the former British prime minister, was the first to sign the guest register.

The hotel would eventually welcome Al Jolson, the Duke of Windsor, Harry Truman.

Gene Autry, Joan Crawford and Muhammad Ali.

Speaking of Ali, he won his first professional fight on October.

29 1960, meeting Tunney Hans Acre.

>> In a unanimous 6 around decision, Ali was still known as cash is clay at the time.

And after the 500 Saker said, quote, Clay was fast as lightning.

The 2 would become good friends.

Some skeptical Kentucky INS watched as the for Steamboat arrived in Louisville on October.

28 18, 11.

They weren't sure the New Orleans would be able to travel upstream against the Ohio River.

Current.

But it did.

A medical milestone.

A card in Kentucky, October 25th 1999 with the first hand transplant ever.

Doctors at Jewish Hospital in Louisville replaced a man's left hand in an operation that took 15 hours.

A western Kentucky singing group the Hilltoppers perform their hit song trying on the Ed Sullivan Show then called toast of the town were not CBS about October.

26 1952.

The song went to number 7 on the billboard chart.

>> And those are some of the interesting events this week in Kentucky.

History on tow begins.

>> Thank you.

Toby gives the Halloween spirit is alive on the campus of Transylvania University.

Hundreds of pumpkins are lining the steps of old Morrison Hall.

The pumpkins were guard Sunday as part of an event known as Pumpkin Mania.

♪ >> We are really thrilled to be able to continue the tradition of a pumpkin mania on the Transylvania campus.

It's a tradition our students, the door, our alumni are very proud of and get excited for because it really brings together the campus community and our host community of likes it.

So to be able to do it on a picture, perfect day like this on our campus, it's a it's a real delight for all of us.

He's going to try it.

>> Haha.

>> Yeah, it really is a family friendly event because not only are there the pumpkin carving opportunities, but our student organizations are wonderful about putting together activities for the young people.

Everything from face painting games where they can win.

Can the and the students love it and the kids love it.

it's really a terrific environment.

♪ >> I carve a pumpkin with my parents every year.

So it was really exciting.

And I got to do it this year because I was kind of nervous.

I wasn't going to be able to do because it's just a family tradition like most people do.

So it was kind of like on going to college.

I'm not going to able to do one.

So the fact that we do it was really exciting and that my parents got to come in do with me just to KET that tradition going.

>> And this is the kind of thing well, it certainly draws new people each year who heard about it and want to experience it.

Their families to come eager to to dive into it because they've had the chance to do before, of course, with the pandemic 2 years where we couldn't do it.

So there are even more excited to be able to come out and be part of it.

♪ The pumpkins are all locally sourced and we're working with an organization called Black sort which at the end of our festivities.

So we'll have them on display through Thursday night and at the end of the city's black soil takes them and distribute to local farmers.

I need to use them for feed for the livestock.

So repurpose things in the It's great to see so many step civil war.

I was talking and I got to do it.

>> Some call pumpkins there.

Check that out.

We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night.

Maybe after the Transylvania pumpkin, maybe a 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition, we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition, e-mail news letter and watch full episodes Akt Dot Org.

>> You can also find the Kentucky edition app on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

And you're welcome to follow KET on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thank you for watching.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Have a terrific night now.

See you tomorrow night.

♪