LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools will select its next superintendent later this week; however, before that decision is made, the district held two public Q&A sessions where the two finalists answered submitted community questions.
The finalists are Brian Yearwood and Ben Shuldiner. Yearwood most recently led the Columbia Public Schools in November before stepping down last November. Shuldiner is the superintendent of the Lansing School District in Michigan.
“It’s just an honor to be here,” Shuldiner told a packed room at JCPS’ Center for Professional Learning.
“Ready to work, roll up my sleeves and get this moving to be No. 1,” Yearwood said as he began his remarks.
Kellye Cunningham, president of the Kentucky NAACP State Conference, was among those in the audience. She said she was glad to hear both candidates address diversity initiatives and support their presence in JCPS.
“What people think it is and what it really is are two very different things," Shuldiner said. "Anybody ever heard of special education? Well, that’s inclusion."
“We must have diversity because each child comes with a unique personality, learning style, ability," Yearwood said. "How can we address all that if we move diversity out to say, 'This is how we are going to teach everyone.' You can’t."
Mike Crawford, member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. Alpha Lambda Chapter fraternity, said he was also encouraged by their position on DEI.
“I believe them both,” Crawford said. “I believe that they actually are engaged, they believe in it and I believe that they will help carry it out,”
Yearwood and Shuldiner touted their careers as education leaders. The two also said they’d work with the state legislature to help JCPS succeed, address budget concerns and teacher retention.
Susan Smith, representing CLOUT, a nonprofit comprised of several area congregations, was glad student literacy was front and center in the finalists' answers. She said she hopes the change in district leadership won’t affect initiatives that are seeing success.
“Will that phonics-based curriculum continue? Because even in the first year, the reading scores have gone up significantly,” Smith said. “We want to be sure that the ball is not dropped or new ideas about something different come in without giving these students the opportunity to achieve the success that research and best practices have shown that phonics-bases curriculum will achieve.”
The weight now shifts to the Board of Education, which will take into consideration everything they’ve learned so far to choose the right person.
“Read those comments, listen to the constituents that put you in office, listen to the teachers, listen to the parents at the needs of this district and make the decision based off of that,” Cunningham said.
The district’s superintendent search advisory committee will not decide who to pick; that task will be up to the school board.
The vote is expected Thursday night. Board president Corrie Shull said Tuesday who is hired won’t be announced publicly until they sign a contract with JCPS.
