Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio has unveiled a five-point plan for moving the district forward over the next 100 days.
Details include reassessing the district’s strategic plan. It also calls for a new facilities plan, which includes giving the English as a Second Language Newcomer Academy a central location.
“The school district has to be accountable for student outcomes," Pollio said. "But the more we can work together as an entire community to provide supports and wrap around services for our students, the more successful our students and schools will be.”
Other aspects of the plan include allowing parents to track their child’s progress online, providing more services at alternative schools and restructuring the JCPS central office.
Here's are the five points of Pollio's plan:
“Backpack” of Success - Pollio wants students to be equipped with literacy and numeracy skills. But he also wants students to have what he calls “success skills” such as collaboration, critical thinking skills, creativity and communication.
Vision 2020 Goals - The Jefferson County Board of Education created a strategic plan in 2015 called Vision 2020. Focus areas of the plan are learning and development, improving culture and improving infrastructure.
“And as I look at Vision 2020,” Pollio said, “the goals and strategies around it are effective but I’m not sure it’s been implemented across the district.”
Leading indicators of learning and development include increasing the percentage of students who are kindergarten-ready and increasing underrepresented groups in Advanced Placement classes. Pollio said a part of revamping Vision 2020 is reporting to the public how JCPS is progressing on data related to the focus areas.
Restructuring the JCPS Central Office - Pollio will restructure the JCPS central office by adding and eliminating positions. Positions to be added include a general counsel, chief of staff and a chief human resources officer. Positions to be eliminated include achievement area superintendents.
Changing Alternative Schools - “We have some real work to do with our alternative schools and some of our most at-risk students,” Pollio said. Improving the city’s alternative schools, according to Pollio, means increasing counseling services and career and technical education opportunities.
Facilities Plan - The 600 students of the ESL Newcomer Academy will take classes at one school in the 2018-2019 year. Currently, students of the program are spread out at four locations across the county. Other facilities changes include creating early childhood education centers.
