Lu Young retiring from Fayette County schools,
says she has no interest in superintendent job
This from H-L:
Fayette County Public Schools chief academic officer Lu Young said Wednesday that she will retire Dec. 31.
Young's departure coincides with Superintendent Tom Shelton's resignation to become executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents. Her last working day is to be Dec. 22.
Before coming to Fayette County 18 months ago, Young was superintendent of Jessamine County Public Schools.
As chief academic officer in Fayette County, Young overses teaching and learning. She most recently worked to help raise academic achievement at Lexington's William Wells Brown Elementary School, after it received the lowest test scores among elementary schools in the state in 2013-14.
Young, who was named 2012 Kentucky school superintendent of the year by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators, said she might work as a consultant in higher education and hopes she can stay involved in K-12 education.
"I want to keep working in public education. That is my passion," she said.
Young said she turns 55 this month and can retire because she has worked for 30 years.
Young said she had thought of retiring since March. With Shelton's departure, "it seemed like a good time to go ahead and make the transition."
Young was a finalist for Fayette County superintendent when Shelton was hired in 2011. She said she has no interest in replacing him.
Young said she had "a great experience these last 18 months."
"After having been in Jessamine for 30 years, I was interested in the professional challenge of a large, more urban district, so I feel like it was a great learning experience and professional opportunity," she said.
Jessica Hiler, president of the Fayette County Education Association, a voluntary teachers' group, said Wednesday that the association's members think the position of chief academic officer should be eliminated.
"We believe that the superintendent should be the chief academic expert for the school district," Hiler said. "The funds used to pay for the position could be used to purchase additional teachers or classified staff that work directly with students."
Young said Wednesday that she has been meeting with Marlene Helm, who becomes interim superintendent Jan. 1, to determine how Young's duties will be handled when she leaves.
6 comments:
I agree with Hiler. I like Lu but, let's be honest. Tom brought her in to assist him with the education side of the superintendent role. The next superintendent should be able to do the job without calling in 6 figure salary reinforcements. Let's hope the Board agrees and eliminates the CAO position.
Glad lu young is gone. she will earn a nice salary in retirement. none of us are the better for lu. I saw her only once at our middle school. The money should go for a three new teachers.
At least you saw her in your school. Waste of money. Part of the budget shortfall as with other hires downtown.
How everyone misses this NYT article about Lu bewilders me.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/education/inquiry-into-school-officials-travels-paid-for-by-pearson.html
We have to watch the board closely to make sure this sort of hire never happens again. The whole set up Tom Shelton achieved for himself was truly ludicrous and I don't like that he made the welfare of our children into a joking matter.
Mike Winkler
Mike,
We did not miss the story. But I'm not convinced that the N. Y. Times got it completely right. Here was my follow up: http://theprincipal.blogspot.com/2012/01/jessamine-superintendent-young-refutes.html
Richard
I have known Lu for 40+ years and to read some of this crap about her is offensive. Lu is the most honest person I have ever known and if the BOE had done there job correctly they would have hired her to begin with. Instead they hire a complete idiot to run FCPS and he did! Run it so far in the ground that it will takes time to get it back where it was. So if you want change, then start cleaning out the ones who caused this problem to begin with and that is people at CO!!!!
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