Contact: Lisa Deffendall • First Posted: Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Three of Kentucky’s best superintendents have been invited to Lexington this week to interview to become the next leader of Fayette County Public Schools.

On Tuesday, Jessamine County Superintendent Lu Young meets with nearly 200 employees, students, parents and community representatives. School board members have expressed appreciation to all those who have agreed to represent their peers and provide the school board with feedback throughout the interview process.

At 3 p.m., Young will meet with members of the media. The news conference will air live on Channel 13 and replay at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and 11 a.m. Wednesday. If you do not have access to cable, Channel 13 programming streams live.

At 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend a public forum in Norsworthy Auditorium at the school district’s 701 East Main Street office. KET news anchor Renee Shaw will interview Young with questions submitted by the community. The forum will air at 7 p.m. Tuesday and at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday on Channel 13.

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

In order to help the community get to know each candidate better, FCPS will post a brief bio the day each visits. Thank you for your interest and participation in this important process.

Lu Young

• Current position: Jessamine County superintendent
• Age: 51
• Education: Bachelor's and master's degrees in Spanish from Eastern Kentucky University, principal and superintendent certifications from the University of Kentucky, currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Northern Kentucky University
• Experience: Nearly three decades in education, including 13 years as a teacher, one year as an assistant principal, two years as curriculum director, four years as assistant superintendent for curriculum and the past seven years as superintendent
• Family: Married, two children

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

"While I have thoroughly enjoyed my 28 years in Jessamine County, I find myself at a point in my career where the challenge of applying my leadership skills in a setting like Fayette County is extremely attractive to me. I feel that I have a larger contribution to make and am very energized by the thought of building on the momentum of recent years to take the district to the next level – for the benefit of students, their families and the entire community. I have described the FCPS superintendency as a ‘dream job’ and I think that springs from the great respect I have for the work being done across Fayette County schools. My husband and I lived in Lexington for more than 20 years and my own children grew up in FCPS, attending Stonewall, Maxwell, Bryan Station Traditional Middle, and Dunbar, so being selected as the next Fayette County superintendent would be very much like coming back to a beloved ‘home away from home.'"

What is your vision for our school district?

"My vision for Fayette County is not unlike my vision for Jessamine County – to ensure that every child is at the center of his or her own learning in an environment that is both challenging and engaging. I choose to refer to “every child” rather than “all children” because it speaks to the unique importance of each one of our learners. It also suggests an urgency for designing highly personalized learning experiences for every child, which I believe will be our greatest instructional challenge as we move further into the 21st century and as we prepare every learner to be college- and career-ready upon graduation. I believe that FCPS has the talent and resources it will take to realize this vision, and I am excited by the prospect of joining you on this journey!"