LLOYD —
Midway through a turnaround campaign to lift Greenup County High School out of its low-achieving status, interim principal Jason Smith has been appointed permanently to the position.
The 10-year employee of the district will be in charge of implementing dramatic changes put in place by his predecessor, Sue Davis, who was hired initially as a consultant after Greenup was named one of the state’s 10 lowest achieving high schools.
Smith had been assistant principal during Davis’ tenure.
“He was head and shoulders above the other candidates in part due to his tutelage under Sue Davis,” said Superintendent Steve Hall, who appointed Smith.
In most cases, the school’s council of teachers, staff and parents hires principals, but under the turnaround process the council loses its decision-making capacity and is an advisory body only.
“His skill and knowledge about the transformational model will continue the momentum we have made,” Hall said.
With the transformational structure in place, the pace of improvement should pick up, Smith said. “Last year saw a lot of organizational and structural changes to make our school more student-centered. Now we’re ready to take those systems and use them to improve student achievement.”
Structural changes were designed to make Greenup more student-centered, he said. For instance, teachers received their assignments based on what classes students need rather than on what they feel are their best teaching strengths.
Those changes fit in with a cultural shakeup meant to align the school more closely with student needs.
“There’s going to be some growing, and along with growing there’s growing pains ... We’re morally obligated to do this. These students deserve it. We’re there because of them,” he said.
The success of the turnaround is linked to test scores, which will have to improve to meet accountability benchmarks.
Smith believes the pace of improvement is likely to pick up as teachers and administrators analyze scores and other data. The data will pinpoint where academic programs need adjusting and where teachers need more training. “We will use the data to drive every single decision made in this building so we can see if our decisions are effective,” he said.
The complete turnaround could take up to five years, he said.
Smith was a social studies teacher for eight years before being hired as assistant principal under Davis. Hall doesn’t see that as a disadvantage. “The job would be a challenge for anyone, but his inexperience is offset by his enthusiasm and dedication,” he said.
Smith also has a vested interest in the district, Hall said. One of his children is a sophomore and the other is a fourth-grader at McKell Elementary. He is a 1992 Greenup graduate.
“Being a graduate and getting the opportunity to teach, and now going into leadership, it’s very important to see my home school do well,” Smith said.
MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2652.
Local News
Interim no longer
Jason Smith officially named principal of Greenup County High School
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