Bullitt East High School Teacher Amanda Comstock recognized by Kentucky Jump$tart Coalition | News

SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Bullitt East High School business and marketing teacher Amanda Comstock is one of three teachers selected for recognition by the Kentucky Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy® for her exceptional efforts of teaching financial literacy concepts to students.

“I was very much honored to receive this award,” she said. “I am very passionate about financial literacy because this is something that all students will be able to use no matter where life takes them after high school. So many other classes are very focused on college bound or work specific students. Financial Literacy is something that students need to know whether they are going to college, the Armed Forces, or straight to the workforce.”

Thanks to the generosity of two Kentucky Jump$tart partners – the Kentucky Society of CPAs and Class Act Federal Credit Union – the coalition is able to present three awards this year of $250 each. The funds can be used for financial literacy classroom materials or training.

Mrs. Comstock will receive her award during a school pep rally on Friday, Oct. 7th.

Her financial literacy curriculum focuses on such elements as budgeting, investing and college planning.

“We use Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Curriculum,” she explained. “I have several guest speakers that come in for various topics. This is also very much project driven. At the end of most chapters, the students have the opportunity to use the knowledge they have gained in a real life situation.”

Mrs. Comstock organized her curriculum into units such as budgeting, investing and college.

In the budgeting unit, she prepares her class by emphasizing that, “If you do not budget your money, you will find that it will disappear without notice.”

The unit lesson required budgeting for a recent college graduate based on a scenario in which the graduate earned $65,000 annually. Required information included apartment rental prices, electricity costs, etc. Students completed a worksheet, a completed budget form, a chart visually displaying how the money was spent, a one-page reflection paper and a five minute PowerPoint of their findings.

The investing unit required students to learn about mutual funds, why they should invest in the funds and what the benefits were, and how mutual funds work. Students were also asked to find three mutual fund brokers in Mt. Washington.

The college unit explored what college or trade school a student would attend, tuition costs (residing at home or commuting), textbooks for one semester and the school year, gasoline and food. Once cost estimates were calculated, students had to figure out how to pay for them.

The Kentucky Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy® believes all Kentuckians need to have the financial literacy necessary to make informed financial decisions and seeks to improve money management skills throughout the life cycle.

The Kentucky coalition, www.kyjumpstart.org, is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the national coalition based in Washington, D.C. Jump$tart’s purpose is to evaluate the financial literacy of young adults; develop and encourage the use of standards for grades K-12; and promote the teaching of personal finance.

This marks the second year of the Kentucky Jump$tart Coalition Financial Literacy Teacher of the Year award. The award is open to teachers in grades K-12 who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to teaching financial literacy topics and motivating students to learn about personal finance.

“Through the generosity of our partners, Jump$tart is pleased to be able to reward three teachers who have shared financial literacy with their students in unique and exciting ways,” said Kentucky Jump$tart President Kelly May. “We appreciate the investment that these teachers have made in learning new concepts and techniques to teach personal financial literacy. These educators have imparted valuable information that will help students succeed throughout life, and we congratulate them.”