Students with dyslexia & ADHD in independent and public schools

"....In some Kentucky public schools, a raft of state regulations, along with institutional lethargy, can stymie educators from trying innovative ideas to boost achievement, educators say.

But what if schools were freed to teach students in radical new ways — allowing them, for example, to shift the school day, learn outside the classroom and trade in written tests for presentations that demonstrate learning.

That’s the idea behind the Kentucky Board of Education’s “Districts of Innovation,” a program created by the General Assembly that, starting next year, will give an initial group of 10 or more public schools freedom to experiment without having to meet every state rule.

“These will look and feel more like charter schools,” said David Cook, director of innovation at the Kentucky Department of Education, who spoke to educators in Louisville on Friday about the program. “The idea is to allow them to innovate without the fear of being slapped for it.”