The Academy at Shawnee's new principal will be Houston Barber who currently serves as principal of Fern Creek High School.
Fern Creek was one of Jefferson County Public Schools' success stories this year when the state released its accountability data.Fern Creek had the highest gains of any JCPS high school and its state percentile ranking went from 26 to 60. Both graduation rates and college and career readiness rates saw significant improvements too.“The success we achieved at Fern Creek was the result of teacher, student, and community commitment to excellence,” said Barber in a news release. “I am eager to engage those same stakeholders as we work restore Shawnee to its former greatness.”
In the same release, JCPS says "The process of finding a new principal at Fern Creek will begin immediately. Hargens said, if necessary, she will ask for a waiver from the Kentucky Department of Education to expedite the proceedings in order to have a leader in place as quickly as possible. Barber will begin at Shawnee on January 6."
