Contact: Lisa Deffendall • First Posted: Thursday, June 9, 2011

For the third and final day this week, one of the top superintendents in Kentucky will interview for the post of Fayette County Public Schools superintendent.

Throughout Thursday, Clark County Superintendent Elaine Farris will meet with nearly 200 employees, students, parents and community representatives. FCPS appreciates the commitment shown by those who agreed to represent their peers and provide the Board of Education with feedback.

At 3 p.m., Farris will meet with members of the media. The news conference will air live on Channel 13 and replay at 11:30 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. Friday. 

At 5:30 p.m., everyone is welcome to attend a public forum in Norsworthy Auditorium at the school district’s 701 East Main St. office. KET news anchor Renee Shaw will interview Farris with questions submitted by the community. The forum will be taped and air at 7 p.m. Thursday and at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday. For those without cable TV, Channel 13 programming streams live.

The Fayette County Board of Education encourages all stakeholders to submit their comments about each finalist by emailing superinput@fayette.kyschools.us. All feedback sent there will be automatically forwarded to the five board members.

To know the final candidate better, here is a brief bio:

Elaine Farris

• Current position: Clark County superintendent
• Age: 56
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, master’s degree in health education and Rank I in instructional leadership from Eastern Kentucky University, superintendent certification from the University of Kentucky, pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership and policy development at Eastern Kentucky University
• Experience: Nearly three decades in education with experience in Clark, Fayette, and Shelby counties and at the Kentucky Department of Education, including 11 years as a teacher, three years as an assistant principal, two years as a highly skilled educator, three years as a principal, three years as an elementary school director, three years as superintendent in Shelby County, two years as deputy commissioner of education, six months as interim commissioner of education for the state of Kentucky and the past two years as superintendent in Clark County.
• Family: Married with one child

Why do you want to be the next superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools?

“It’s all about student learning and achievement. As someone who has spent most of her life dedicated to this philosophy, I can immediately see the impact that I can facilitate as the leader of this district. Living and working near Fayette County most of my educational career, I have observed the educational processes of the school district from the periphery. During my tenure as an elementary director, I became knowledgeable of how the district functions and the expectations of the community. Because of this knowledge, prior relationship and experience in Fayette County, I want to be the superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools because as a servant leader, I believe I can work collaboratively with the stakeholders in leading the district to new heights. Leading Fayette County will be an opportunity to make a difference for more students, to continue to improve the academic performance of all students, to close achievement gaps and to ensure that the district provides a world-class education for the district’s students."

What is your vision for our school district?

"My vision for Fayette County Public Schools is to build a high-performing professional learning community that will work collaboratively with home, school and community to ensure that all of our students are provided a world-class education and graduate college or are career ready."