Daeschner looks back

Stephen Daeschner is leaving the position of superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools after a 14-year stint. In today's Courier-Journal, he talks about his tenure, successes and failures.

Louisville, my family and I have called you "home" for 14 years. That's the longest time I have stayed in any one city since my college days. I think that says less about my propensity to seek out new challenges than it does about Louisville's attractiveness as a place to live and have a family. When I arrived here with my wife in 1993 to assume the leadership of the Jefferson County Public Schools, our two daughters were still toddlers. This is the only home -- and JCPS is the only school system -- our girls have ever known.

...As I've busied myself with packing, I've had some time to reminisce. With the community's unfailing support, we've accomplished a lot of good things for the students of Jefferson County. Our early childhood education program has expanded exponentially for 3- to 5-year-olds, and it regularly receives national acclaim. Our applications of technology extend from the classroom to the business office, and from the cafeteria to the bus compound.

...I want to be very clear about one thing. Many positive things have happened for kids in JCPS over the last 14 years, and much of the credit goes to this fantastic community. Parents, you came in droves to PTA meetings and parent-teacher conferences. You volunteered with fund raising and you drove your children to after-school activities. You sent your kids off to school each day, fortified with a good night's sleep and a healthful breakfast. You supervised their homework, and you set high expectations for their academic performance and behavior. In short, you were always there for your children. Most of all, parents, thank you for entrusting JCPS with the education of your children. You could have paid us no greater compliment.

...Disappointments? Yes, there have been a few. I still think we should have closed a couple of underutilized buildings that are sapping much-needed resources. In addition, there is still serious work to be done in order to decrease the suspension and dropout rates and to increase attendance.

Frustrations? Yes, there have been some of those, as well. Five years ago, we presented to the Kentucky Department of Education some feasible options for implementing their mandated systems for handling student and financial data -- options that would meet their needs, yet work in a school district the size of JCPS. KDE refused, insisting that JCPS adopt the same systems being used in the rest of the state. Millions of dollars later, in spite of everyone's best efforts, these systems are still not functional, and we may have to go back to square one.

This from the Courier-Journal, photo by Pam Spaulding.