Without changing JCPS, we will see decades like the last few

On November 7, 2024By Littum

Kentucky has long limited the JCPS superintendent’s authority, stifling progress with bureaucracy and interference.

David A. Jones Jr.
| Opinion contributor

Jefferson County Public Schools are in trouble.

Enrollment, attendance, student outcomes, and teacher retention remain low post-pandemic. Staff shortages and a culture of fear hurt morale, while operational problems have made JCPS a target of ridicule. Now the superintendent is leaving, and three-quarters of the eligible school board members chose not to seek re-election. A state commission is considering dramatic state-mandated changes.

The deeper problem is decades of stagnation, regardless of who has been in charge, with no progress in closing learning gaps and leaving most black and poor students behind.

JCPS clearly needs a great new superintendent, but Kentucky law has long made this impossible by denying Louisville’s superintendent the authority that any CEO of a large organization needs. If Louisville wants JCPS to do tomorrow what it cannot do today — educate all of our children — we must demand changes in state law to allow a leader to fix our broken system.

Kentucky must give the next JCPS superintendent real authority

Large organizations hire managers to achieve results, not just manage day-to-day operations. Generals must win wars, not just try. CEOs must deliver products even when the road is unclear. University presidents must work with, through and around sometimes antagonistic constituencies to get things done. None of these are micromanaged by boards of directors according to antiquated management charters.

JCPS needs the same approach. It’s not enough to hope the school board chooses a leader with good skills—Kentucky must give the CEO real authority to restructure, reallocate resources and make tough decisions to ensure success for nearly one-sixth of the state’s students.

Without the power to change JCPS, Louisville will see decades like the last few. Kentucky has long limited the JCPS superintendent’s authority, stifling progress with bureaucracy and interference. Imagine a CEO unable to choose their management team or pivot strategy – no company operates this way, and neither should JCPS.

JCPS board fights law that gives superintendent more power

Fortunately, the Kentucky legislature passed in 2022 Senate bill 1 to give the next superintendent more power to lead. However, the JCPS school board is challenging the law in the Kentucky Supreme Court on legal technicalities unrelated to education.

If the court upholds the law, it will allow the superintendent to make quick, strategic decisions within the school board’s goals and budget. If the court blocks it, Louisville should push for the Legislature to reinstate the law’s content to strengthen JCPS leadership.

Setting ambitious but realistic goals for JCPS, finding the courage to fund changes and holding an empowered superintendent accountable will be a tall order for the school board. It’s a role worthy of the people who oversee a budget considerably larger than Metro Council’s, and one that would give them a real chance to achieve what previous boards could not.

The stakes are high – our schools shape the future of our city, affecting the economy, workforce and community well-being. To drive change, we need to create a work dynamic for the superintendent with the same rigor and expectations that we would have for a CEO or a university president. With the right leadership and tools, transformation is possible.

David A. Jones, Jr. served on the JCPS school board and the board of Humana Inc., chairing each during his tenure.