Superintendent Receives Exemplary Performance Evaluation

The Fayette County Board of Education has approved the annual evaluation of Superintendent Demetrus Liggins, commending his “ongoing strategic leadership, which is firmly rooted in the success of each and every child in our district and guided by our collaboratively developed strategic plan, ‘A New Way Forward.’”

The June 24 vote was the culmination of a revised evaluation process for the superintendent, which included multiple discussions with the board and ongoing professional learning throughout the 2023-24 school year to review past performance, set expectations for the future, and monitor progress on district goals agreed upon by the board-superintendent team.

Summary of Liggins' Evaluation

Liggins called his review a reflection of the accomplishments achieved by the entire FCPS community. “I am honored by the board’s recognition of our collective efforts,” he said. “This positive evaluation is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our teachers, staff, students, and community partners. Together, we have made great strides in providing a high-quality education for all our students, and I am excited to continue this important work.”

Annual evaluations of the superintendent are a key component of the school board’s responsibilities and underscore its commitment to maintaining exacting standards of leadership, fostering continuous improvement, and ensuring effective governance and public accountability.

The new evaluation instrument was developed based on guidance from the Kentucky School Boards Association and the Kentucky Association of School Administrators and drew from both the Kentucky Next Generation Superintendent Effectiveness Standards, the Superintendent Professional Growth and Effectiveness System, and our district’s Strategic Plan.

The rigorous year-long process enhances communication and feedback and was designed to advance district improvements through reflection, assessment, and goal setting. The school board and superintendent simplified the rating scale, introducing a scoring system of “Meets Expectations” or “Does Not Meet Expectations” to provide a clear, concise measure of Liggins’ performance against these seven standards:

• Strategic Leadership
• Instructional Leadership
• Cultural Leadership
• Human Resource Leadership
• Managerial Leadership
• Collaborative Leadership
• Influential Leadership

School board members agreed that Liggins met expectations in all seven areas.

“The board recognizes the significant efforts of Superintendent Liggins and his team in expanding student opportunities, streamlining the transition out of ESSER, strengthening the organizational health and efficiency of FCPS, and prioritizing investments in our staff,” the board wrote in its evaluation document.

“Additionally, Dr. Liggins remains intentional in engaging with our community partners who are integral to our mission. While the evaluation underscores that Superintendent Liggins has clearly met the standards outlined in the evaluation document, the board also acknowledges that his success as the instructional leader of the district and our collective success require a collaborative environment and a committed board team supporting our students, staff, and families. We remain focused on fostering this ongoing collaboration.”

Evaluating the superintendent is an essential responsibility of school boards in Kentucky, and a robust evaluation process fosters a strong working relationship between the board and superintendent, clarifies roles, establishes common leadership expectations, and provides a mechanism for public accountability.

Kentucky law mandates that school boards annually evaluate and document the performance of their superintendents under KRS 156.557, which requires school boards to document and conduct a summative evaluation of the superintendent each year. Preliminary discussions are held in closed sessions, while the final evaluation is discussed and adopted in an open meeting, with the final document made available to ensure transparency.

Board's Self-Evaluation

Further demonstrating its commitment to shared accountability and continuous improvement, the Fayette County Board of Education announced the implementation of its first-ever self-evaluation process for the 2024-25 school year. The initiative will involve a comprehensive review of governance practices, policies, and decision-making procedures, with input sought from each board member to ensure a thorough and inclusive assessment.

“We believe that self-evaluation is a crucial step towards enhancing our effectiveness and ensuring we are meeting the needs of our students, staff, and community,” Chair Tyler Murphy said. “By critically examining our own performance both individually and as a team, we hope to identify areas for growth and develop strategies to continue supporting our superintendent, schools, staff, community, and most importantly, our students.”