A recent op-ed by David Jones Jr. reminds us that while everyone is entitled to their own opinion, they cannot make up their own facts. While Jefferson County Public Schools, like all school districts, faces challenges and has room for improvement, the strides our students have made under Superintendent Marty Pollio and this Board of Education are inarguable. Our graduation rate has gone from 82% to 88% with the gap between white and Black students virtually erased. Our postsecondary readiness rate has gone from 50% to 82%, with the gap between Black and white students cut in half.
One reason for this success is Dr. Pollio’s Future State plan , which the board supported wholeheartedly and has worked collaboratively with the superintendent to implement. Anyone would be hard-pressed to say he has not been given broad authority to hire whomever he wanted and to implement his vision which has included:
- An updated school assignment plan , which allows every student to attend a school close to home and ensures that resources flow to the schools and students with the highest need.
- The rollout of the Academies of Louisville , a career and technical education structure in every resides high school that is a model for other districts. The relatively new Middle School Explore program is now “laddering up” to high schools, giving middle schoolers a taste of various careers before they choose a career path that interests them in high school.
- Significant investment in school facilities, including new middle schools in West Louisville and east of the Snyder Freeway.
- Districtwide reading and math curriculum to ensure that even students who change schools will see the same textbooks and lessons, reducing learning disruptions for our most vulnerable students.
- The expansion of district-administered school safety programs, including school safety administrators, the district’s own police force, and weapons detection systems in every high school and (soon) middle school in JCPS.
- Mental health professionals and school nurses in every school.
- Everyone-to-one access to instructional devices, so that every student can access their educational resources at any time.
- Working with community partners like Evolve502 to ensure every JCPS graduate has free tuition for their first two years of college.