Is "get tough" school accountability already crumbling?

WAVE-3 reported last week on the replacement of staff in the six Jefferson County schools that are on the list of the state’s 10 Persistently Low-Achieving Schools.

Out of about 200 teachers that could have faced transfer if the recommendations of leadership audits had been fully implemented, the WAVE-3 article says only 120 will actually be moved.

Even more interesting, WAVE-3 reports that principals in two of Jefferson County’s high schools will not be removed even thought the audits found they lacked the capability and capacity to lead their schools to real reform.

Those two principals are Houston Barber at Fern Creek Traditional High and Gary Hurt at Valley Traditional High. However, despite the audit findings, the news article says both principals will be kept on because they are “fairly new.”

Well, this table shows why I find that problematic.

School Report Cards from the Kentucky Department of Education for as far back as the 2006-07 year list both Barber and Hurt as principals in their current schools. That means these men were serving at least as far back as the 2007-08 school term. That doesn’t seem like a “fairly new” situation to me. Both men had already served as principals for nearly three school terms by the time they were audited.


It gets even more problematic.



Dr. Lonnie Laney, from the Lawrence County High School, got the axe after serving just one school term.

Barber and Hurt had three times as long in their schools, but it’s Laney, not Barber or Hurt who is being shown the door.

So, how about some consistency here?

By the way, my understanding was that a principal who had been in place by July 2008 would not be considered “fairly new” when it came time to consider and possibly override the leadership audit findings. It looks like neither Barber nor Hurt fit that criterion.

Also, consider the recent trend in math and reading proficiency in these schools.


Fern Creek and Valley LOST ground while Lawrence gained a little. Furthermore, proficiency rates in Lawrence County High are now better than Valley for both subjects and approaching those of the deteriorating Fern Creek. But, only Lawrence High’s principal is being shown the door!

There are even more issues concerning the track record in Fern Creek, which we previously discussed. With PLAN scores sliding over the past four years while the rest of the state showed an increase, why should we have confidence in the principal’s ability to turn this clearly troubled school around?

Let me say it again: how about some consistency here!