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Lu Young, superintendent of Jessamine County Schools, has been selected as the 2012 Kentucky Superintendent of the Year by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators. Young will now compete for the National Superintendent of the Year Award given by the American Association of School Administrators. She was presented with the award during a surprise ceremony at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 30 at the Jessamine Career and Technology Center Multipurpose Room.
Jessamine County Board of Education member Jo Ann Rohrback said in her letter of nomination that “Lu is a superintendent who is leading the way for education in Kentucky,” and attributed increased student achievement, graduation rates, and community involvement to Young’s leadership.
Since Young became superintendent, the district’s dropout rate has decreased from 7.6% in 2004 to 2.54% in 2010. She has also led her district to increased scores in reading and math, particularly among students with disabilities, and has reduced district spending by over $2.5 million in the last two years.
“I have followed Lu’s career for more than 25 years and have always found her to be totally dedicated and committed to improving the educational opportunities for all children in Jessamine County. I am always proud to call her ‘my superintendent’ when introducing her to my colleagues in Frankfort,” State Representative Robert Damron said in his letter of recommendation.
A lifelong learner, Young earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Spanish from Eastern Kentucky University and superintendent and principal certification from University of Kentucky. She is currently enrolled in the doctoral program for Executive Education at Northern Kentucky University. She has served as a high school Spanish teacher, assistant high school principal, director of curriculum, assistant superintendent, and superintendent for Jessamine County Schools.
Young has also served in various community- and state-wide leadership roles. In her community, Young currently serves as board member and president-elect for the Jessamine Chamber of Commerce, executive committee member and chair of the Education Impact Council for United Way of the Bluegrass, University of Kentucky College of Education Board of Advocates, Nicholasville Rotary Club, and the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children.
At the state level, Young currently serves as one of two Kentucky representatives on the American Association of School Administrators Governing Board, chair of Kentucky’s School Curriculum Assessment and Accountability Council, member of the board of directors for the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, member of the Kentucky Advisory Council on Gifted and Talented Education, and a member of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Local Superintendent’s Advisory Council. She was also a trainer in the Teaching/Learning Module of the Kentucky New Superintendent’s Training through KASA in 2011.
“Lu is a fantastic representative for this state, not only as a superintendent, but as an educator who has devoted her life to public service. She is tireless in her efforts to grab hold of the future and lead her students into it, and she leaves the public in awe of the success they find they are capable of under her guidance,” KASA Executive Director and General Counsel Wayne Young said.
Young will also be recognized at the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents winter conference December 6, 2011, at the Galt House Hotel & Suites in Louisville.
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