Campbell County Schools Superintendent Shelli Wilson has completed and passed all the requirements for new superintendent training.
The training is for new superintendents in the state, required by the Kentucky Department of Education to offer them support through an individualized learning plan. Wilson assumed her role on July 1, 2022, and dedicated about 21 days throughout the school year to the training.
Director with the Kentucky Association of School Administrators, Fred Carter, who was part of Wilson’s individualized learning team, said she passed with “flying colors.”
“It’s no small task, folks,” Carter said. “It’s not an automatic pass. I’ve been doing this for 12 years and had about three or four folks who did not pass.”
Pendleton County Superintendent Joe Buerkley served as Wilson’s mentor during the training. He said Wilson would continue to be an asset in the Campbell County School District, ensuring student success.
“I hope you understand how lucky you are as a district to have someone with her level of experience as a first-year superintendent,” Buerkley said.
Wilson served the district as an associate superintendent, a position she held from 2006 until she was onboarded as superintendent.
At the start of her training, Wilson met with the board of education to create a professional growth plan. During Monday night’s regularly scheduled Campbell County Board of Education meeting, Wilson presented her capstone on the work she completed over her first year as superintendent.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Strategic leadership: Consolidated the district improvement plan by holding monthly leadership meetings and administrator meetings, cabinet meetings, etc.
- Instructional leadership: Implemented TIS Grant work for trauma-invested schools, student and teacher mental health priority, and interventions and support systems in each school, increased preschool numbers by 80 plus students, K-3 mid-year MAP growth in reading and math scores were the highest ever, etc.
- Cultural leadership: District-wide “All-Stars” recognition program, district “Night of the Stars” staff, faculty, and community recognition program, monthly board meeting briefs to all Campbell County Schools employees, etc.
- Cultural leadership/School climate and safety: $4 million grant for trauma-informed school services, resiliency poll administered twice a year, seven mental health therapists, etc.
- Human resource leadership: $2 million in general funds allocated to staff raises for competitive salaries and benefits, sick days increased to 1 per month from 10 per employee, food service coordinator position added, etc.
- Managerial leadership: Food service van and additional position to maximize funding opportunities, bus route consolidation, middle school improvements, and new Grants Lick Elementary school building, etc.
- Collaborative leadership: School resource officers in all schools, telehealth initiated in schools through St. Elizabeth, career pathways communication to parents and community through flyers, videos, and career catalog, etc.
- Influential leadership/public education advocacy: Meetings with legislatures, attendance at Alexandria Council meetings, meetings and advocacy with Representative Mike Clines and Senator Shelly Funke Frommeyer, resulting in SEEK funding for $715,000, quarterly meetings with Gateway President to enhance programs for students, etc.
“At the beginning of the year, I challenged our staff to be an all-star team and to serve like all-stars for our community, and I think the work that you see here within one year is very promising that we’re on the road to great success,” Wilson said.
Wilson will receive her certificate of completion for the new superintendent training on July 26 at a celebration in Louisville.
