Following a recommendation from the Kentucky Education Education, Myers Middle School will have a new principal by the 2014-2015 school year.The Jefferson County Board of Education had an opportunity to appeal the decision, but will not be taking any action, a district spokesman said.As WFPL previously reported, the state recommendation to remove Jack Baldwin from his duties as principal of the struggling school came as a result of a Department of Education audit that deemed he lacked the capacity to lead the school through its current turnaround.As a persistently low-achieving school, the audit of Myers was required. Other schools, including Westport, Olmsted North, Thomas Jefferson Middle, Western and Valley High were also a part of the audit.Baldwin said in “retrospect” of his time at Myers, he isn’t surprised by the move.“I had a lot of time to reflect,” Baldwin told WFPL on Thursday. “Even though we are proud of the work we’ve done here, I do understand the system compels a certain pace of improvement.”Baldwin will remain as the principal of Myers until the end of the current school year. Upon leaving Myers, he will continue to be employed by the district as a specialist for principal support.“It was an outcome I was hoping for,” he said.Myers’ current turnaround model includes a restructuring of the teaching staff, meaning at least 50 percent of the staff will be replaced before the next school year.Baldwin said his involvement in the restructuring process will be minimal.“It’s up to other people to do the planning for next year,” he said.“In spite of everything,” Baldwin said, “I am not sorry I volunteered to take this on. There are wonderful kids here, wonderful families and a wonderful staff and it is a lot of challenge, but it is the type of challenge that you go home everyday feeling good about yourself.”
