Pollio says change must continue “for our students”
By Mark Hebert
February 23, 2023 - Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is making substantial progress and tackling difficult issues head-on, but there are challenges ahead. That was the message JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio delivered today in his fifth State of the District address.
Pollio told the luncheon crowd of about 200 community and education leaders at the Kentucky Science Center that JCPS’ Future State, which he unveiled in 2020, must become a reality.
“It’s very important that the community knows this is our plan,” Pollio said. “We have planted the trees. Now it is time to water those roots and make sure our students get the fruits of our labor.”
The Future State vision includes substantial investments in facilities, people, and services for students. Pollio pointed to the two new schools that opened in the fall, two more next school year, and three more planned before 2026 as physical proof that JCPS is fulfilling its promise. The Future State plan was developed three years ago and calls for:
Building new schools that engage students and faculty
Investing more resources into highest-need schools
Implementing the district’s School Choice plan
Extending learning time
Increasing use of technology
Expanding leadership/workforce development
Pollio said he is pleased with the progress made in each area, including more staff, training, and financial incentives for high-needs schools; passage of the plan giving all students a choice of attending a school close to their home; participation of 10,000 students in summer learning programs; a device and internet service for every student; and expanded leadership, recruitment, and training programs that have resulted in 46 percent of JCPS school administrators being leaders of color.
Pollio also added another item to the Future State - district-wide curriculum. For the first time in decades, JCPS’ superintendent along with district leaders will make decisions on curriculum. The result will be every student at every grade level receiving the same rigorous curriculum instead of the current variance from school to school.
“For the first time ever we will have the same curriculum for early literacy all across the district,” Pollio said. “Ethically and morally, that’s what we have to do.”
The superintendent also warned that challenges remain. Poverty, youth violence, mental health issues, and attacks on JCPS create time- and energy-consuming barriers to learning, according to Pollio.
Another challenge is the nationwide teacher shortage, which has left JCPS with more than 300 teacher vacancies.
“This is a crisis that is not going away,” Pollio added. “It will only get worse unless we act.”
Pollio said the district is trying to stem the problem with the Louisville Teacher Residency program and other innovative recruitment and retention efforts.
Pollio also promoted the Start Smart proposal as a solution to the bus driver shortage and a way to ensure students spend more time in the classroom. Currently, nearly half of the middle and high school students who attend their “resides” school are chronically absent. About 20,000 students have missed substantial class time because their school bus ran up to three hours late due to a shortage of drivers. Pollio said expanding the number of start times from two to eight for kindergarten through 12th grade would cut absenteeism and the number of bus routes from 730 to 600, ensuring every student can get to school on time next school year.
“We had kids get to school today three hours late,” Pollio said. “We have principals who will be staying with their kids today until 5:30 p.m. Those are kids that got out of school at 2:20 because of our bus transportation system…..it’s a tough change, but it is the right change to make for our kids.”
The superintendent encouraged the crowd to push back against “attacks on JCPS” and not count on state government or anyone else to help JCPS resolve its challenges.
“It is time we say, everybody in this room, we are JCPS,” Pollio said. “Let’s let JCPS do the work. We are going to see outcomes like we have never seen before.”
Pollio's entire speech can be found on the JCPS YouTube Channel.