The Board of Education for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) has done its part and held to the schedule it promised months ago. Over the next few weeks and through public Q&A sessions on Tuesday, May 20, this community will meet and engage with the two finalists for Superintendent. Soon we will know who will lead our students, teachers, and administrators for the foreseeable future.

Regardless of the outcome, the most important question is how we, parents, community members, business leaders, elected officials, and local media, will behave. Will we turn our backs or offer only tepid support because we don’t see “our favorite” in either candidate? Or will we be the community of support we have been for Dr. Polio, or proclaimed to be just a few short months ago?

I pledge to be the latter. 

• I pledge to give JCPS and the next Superintendent the best of me and the best of my organization.
• I pledge to continue or increase the support the district receives from me and my organization.
• I pledge to partner with the district in name and action, using the resources available to expand and enhance educational opportunities for JCPS students.
• I pledge to advocate for, support, and advance just and equitable education policies at the state and local levels. 
• I pledge to work diligently to find positive and productive pathways to success, even through conflict and disagreements. 
• I pledge to support the students, teachers, and administrators of JCPS in creating a welcoming, compassionate, equitable, and educated community of learners inside and outside the school walls.

The future of JCPS rests not solely on the selection of a superintendent but on the collective commitment of this community. I commit to rising above personal preferences and unite in our support for the chosen leader and, most importantly, for our students. Join me in this pledge. Together, let’s ensure a bright future for Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, and the Commonwealth.