This story was written by Lia Salvatierra, our new Education Reporter. Find more of Lia’s reporting here. Do you have an NKY education story? Email lsalvatierra@linknky.com.
Education is a value baked into Covington Independent Schools’ new Superintendent Cortnei Flucas’ bones.
Flucas joined the district on July 1, hailing from her hometown of Indianapolis.
Though raised there, Flucas spent summers in Mississippi with her grandparents for whom education was not a question.
They saw it as an avenue to become a good human and contributor within a community, Flucas told LINK nky.
As superintendent, she sees her job as ensuring Covington students and families see themselves thriving not just at the district, but in the broader city and community.
“It’s hard to sell a dream about valuing education when you’re not clear about what it affords you,” Flucas said.
She envisions a system of resources shared between the district and city that can uplift the broader Covington community — and she wants to start by understanding its families’ stories and motivations.
“The value of education starts at home,” Flucas said. “It’s a mindset.”
Growing up, Flucas didn’t always know she’d pursue education as a career, but knew she was going to college, attending Xavier University of Louisiana.
Her family has a proud tradition of attending historically Black colleges.
“(That tradition) speaks to the value of our culture and our upbringing, and honoring those that created space for education to be accessible to Black people first and foremost,” Flucas told LINK nky.
And after graduating with a degree in English, she found herself at a summer program helping other students explore their place in higher education.
The program meant to expose students deemed Indianapolis’ “toughest kids,” to the college experience and what it would take to get there, Flucas said.
At the time, she’d never been in a classroom and wasn’t sure what to expect.
“But the joy and love and care that the children granted me from the beginning was so inspiring,” Flucas said.
While teaching basic skills like algebra, she saw lightbulbs going off and began questioning what her students had been missing.
“That was a moment where I said, ‘Do people see you? Do people know you? Is part of the disconnect that they aren’t clear about who you are, and that’s why they aren’t serving you well?’” Flucas said.
She enrolled in a teaching program right after that summer and became a middle school English teacher.
Shortly after stepping into the classroom, her principal encouraged to look into administration.
At that time, she’d been set on teaching forever. But she started taking on leadership roles: as English department chair, assistant principal and dean of students.
Flucas then served in four different leadership roles for Indianapolis Public Schools, the state’s largest district.
During that period, she participated in a leadership fellowship, which played a part in her eventually considering becoming a superintendent.
Flucas also has a master’s degree in education administration and is pursuing a doctorate in education.
Since moving to Covington for the superintendent position, Flucas’ first couple of months on the job have been defined by listening to stakeholders — parents, teachers, students and more.
Communication and transparency emerged as a key priority from conversations she’s had so far.
Without their asking, Flucas already brought the Covington Board of Education a professional development plan to hold herself accountable to her goals.
“There’s never going to be a day that I’m asking teachers or principals or central office leaders to hold themselves to a high standard and not do the same,” Flucas said.
More broadly, she wants the entire school community to understand the decisions Covington is making and what it means for them.
As a parent of three students who started at the district this Monday, she feels positioned to know what’s on the minds of families — from kids worrying about who their new teachers or classmates are, to not wanting to give up screen time.
“Every part of the roller coaster that our families are experiencing … we had all those same dynamics in our household this week, and we made it to Friday,” Flucas said last week, laughing.
“I certainly know what it means to put your absolute most valuable resource on that bus, or walk into school and hope for the best. So I just want to make sure that parents know that we are grateful for their trust and not taking it lightly,” she said.
As newcomers, Flucas and her family are all ears for fun activities around town on the weekends.
Lia Salvatierra is a journalist with Report for America, a service program that helps boost coverage of underreported topics and areas throughout the United States. To help LINK nky continue to provide this kind of reporting, you can make a tax-deductible donation here.
