Decision on next JCPS superintendent coming soon
The Jefferson County Board of Education will be in executive session Thursday to potentially select the next superintendent for Jefferson County Public Schools.
Two finalists under consideration: H. Brian Yearwood and Ben Shuldiner.
Following the executive session, the board told 비바카지노 Viva they had chosen a candidate and will begin contract negotiations. However, they have not announced which candidate was selected.
Yearwood has 30 years of experience and was most recently the superintendent of Columbia Public Schools in Missouri. Ben Shuldiner has 25 years of experience and is currently the superintendent of a school district in Lansing, Michigan.
District leaders, along with JCPS students and parents, met the candidates and asked questions during public forums this week.
Community feedback from these forums was considered by the board at the VanHoose Center.
Community leaders expressed confidence in the potential decision.
Lyndon Pryor, president of the Urban League and part of the superintendent search advisory committee, said, "I think this community would benefit from either one."
Pryor emphasized the importance of community engagement and support for the new leader, saying, "And it's really going to be important for everybody to stay engaged and stay supportive of the process because, you know, if this community bails on the next leader, then you are effectively bailing on the district."
During the forums, both candidates discussed key issues such as diversity, equity, inclusion, transportation, and teacher retention.
Max Morely, a former Jefferson County Teachers Association board member and JCPS teacher, highlighted the importance of these topics.
"So what I think teachers are looking for right now is respect, support, and, frankly, pay and benefits that allow them to stay in the roles that they are," Morely said. "It felt like both candidates, were committed to that and had ideas about how to move that forward."
Both Pryor and Morely stressed the importance of community support for the success of the new superintendent.
Pryor said, "The fact is, is the next superintendent, whoever they may be, is only going to be as successful as we deem them to be successful."
Morely expressed hope for community involvement, stating, "I think we're blessed to have a big, beautiful, diverse village, and I hope that every voice gets a part, gets the opportunity to participate."
The board is on standby to see if a decision will be made Thursday night, with negotiations expected to start Friday if a candidate is chosen.