May 21, 2025

Dear Louisville,

Before a decision is made, we, the undersigned, want to thank the Board of Education for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) for sticking to the schedule you promised and conducting a professional, thorough, transparent, and community-involved nationwide search process for the next Superintendent of the district. Community members from across the city and all walks of life were invited to participate and represent their constituencies. Most did so in good faith and with intentionality. 

The question for the board now is who they will choose. The question for the rest of us is how we will respond and behave. Having completed the final public phase of the process, it is abundantly clear that the search yielded two competent and qualified candidates who are more than capable of leading us into the future. That is success. 

We commit ourselves to standing with the board and their chosen candidate, whoever that may be. The future of JCPS rests not solely on the selection of a superintendent, but on the collective commitment of this community. We invite our neighbors and colleagues to rise above personal preferences and unite to support the chosen leader and, most importantly, our students. Join me in this pledge. Together, let’s ensure a bright future for Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, and the Commonwealth.

Respectfully,

Lyndon Pryor, Louisville Urban League
Raymond Burse, Louisville Branch NAACP
Terrance Sullivan, Advisory Council on Racial Equity
Dr. Eric T. French, Sr., Antioch Baptist Church
Rev Dr F. Bruce Williams, Bates Memorial Baptist Church
Audwin Helton, Spatial Data Integrations, Inc.
Sadiqa Reynolds
Joe Phelps, Listen, Learn, Act
Di Kerrigan Listen Learn Act
Alice Houston
Maddie Shepard, Jefferson County Teachers Association 
Stephen Reily  
Chris Hartman, Fairness Campaign
Shameka Parrish-Wright, JCPS Parent, VOCAL-KY,  Louisville Metro Councilwoman 
Deborah LaPorte, Listen Learn Act