More than a dozen Lexington schools are changing leaders. Here’s a list of the changes

More than a dozen Lexington schools are getting new leaders this fall.

“We have high expectations for the newest members of our leadership team, including educators from school districts throughout the state and nation, as well as rising stars from within our ranks who are moving into new positions as part of their leadership journey,” Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said in a statement.

Four of the new hires this year were formerly in interim positions. Three of the openings were the result of retirements. In eight cases, principals took promotions, superintendent posts or moved schools.

In Fayette County, roughly ten schools each year get new administrators, said district spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall.

“We are excited to put the darkest days of the past two years behind us with a renewed energy and commitment to providing every student with exciting, challenging, and well-rounded educational opportunities in a safe, caring, and supportive environment,” Liggins said. “Each of these new leaders will play a critical role in removing barriers and accelerating student success.”

Here’s what you need to know about each new leader:

Lamar Allen, acting program Director at Carter G. Woodson Preparatory Academy

Allen has 12 years of experience in education and started his career as a classroom teacher at Jones Paideia Magnet Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee.

Two years later, he was hired to become the Instructional Coach and Academic Dean at Robert Churchwell Museum Elementary, also in Nashville. Allen joined the Fayette County Public Schools in 2015 as an intermediate, primary, STEAM and STEM educator at Yates Elementary School. In 2021, he became the professional growth and effectiveness coach for Carter G. Woodson Prep, where he later moved into the acting program director role.

Marlon Ball, principal at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Tiffany Cook, principal at Picadome Elementary

Cook has more than 20 years of experience in education, having started her teaching career at Cassidy Elementary in Fayette County Public Schools. After 11 years as a classroom teacher, she became an administrative dean at Picadome Elementary. She was then named principal of Simmons Elementary in Woodford County, where she has served since 2016.

Nekesha Cozart, acting program director at Carter G. Woodson Academy

Cozart has 19 years of experience in education, starting her career as a special education teacher at Harrison Elementary. In 2013, she joined the staff at Carter G. Woodson Academy as a community liaison, and for the past six years has been the administrative dean.

Kevin Faris, program director at The Stables

With 19 years of experience in education, Faris started his career in 2003 as an English and humanities teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, while also serving as the artist in residence at the Theatre of PossAbilities, a creative arts camp for students with special behavioral and emotional needs in grades six through 10.

In 2011, Faris was hired as the assistant principal at Elkhorn Middle School in Frankfort, and for the past five years, he has served as the assistant principal at Woodford County High School.

Chris Flores, program director at STEAM Academy

Flores has 16 years of experience in education and helped open STEAM Academy in 2013. Prior to entering administration, he taught Spanish at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

Michelle Grant, principal at Coventry Oak Elementary

Grant has 23 years of experience in the field of education, having started her career as a teacher at Kenton Elementary in the Kenton County Public Schools. She joined Fayette County Public Schools in 1999 as a teacher at Deep Springs Elementary School, where she later served as the reading first school coach. She has been a professional growth and effectiveness coach for the past 17 years, first at Maxwell Elementary School, where she was also acting principal for a semester, and then at Southern Elementary School.

Bryne Jacobs, principal at Lexington Traditional Magnet School

Jacobs has 19 years of experience in the field of education, having started his career teaching social studies at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. After six years in the classroom, Jacobs became an associate principal at Paul Laurence Dunbar. In 2012, he was named principal at Lafayette High School.

Jodi Johnson, principal at The Academy for Leadership at Millcreek Elementary

Johnson has 14 years of experience in the field of education in Newport News, Virginia. She started her career as a teacher at Lee Hall Elementary and after eight years in the classroom, moved into school leadership. She has spent the last six years as an assistant principal, first at Hilton Elementary, where she also served as acting principal for three months, and then at B.C. Charles Elementary.

Bryan Kennedy, acting program director at The Learning Center

With 17 years of experience in education, Kennedy started his career as a math teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. He joined the staff at The Learning Center five years ago to teach math and environmental stewardship and was named academic dean last year. Kennedy also spent 11 years working with the Upward Bound Program at Bluegrass Community and Technical College as a teacher and academic coordinator.

Liz Kirk, principal at Yates Elementary

Kirk has 18 years of experience in the field of education, built upon six years of teaching at Yates Elementary School. After spending a year as the Professional Growth and Effectiveness coach at Deep Springs Elementary, Mrs. Kirk moved to Huntertown Elementary School, where she served as a fifth-grade teacher, elementary curriculum specialist, and administrative dean. In 2015, she became assistant principal at Woodford County Middle School, where she has been principal for the past two years.

Anthony Orr, principal at Lafayette High School

Matthew Spottswood, principal at Maxwell Elementary

With 18 years of experience in the field of education, Spottswood started his career teaching high school chemistry and earth science at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. After seven years in the classroom, Spottswood moved into administration, first as a principal intern, then as an assistant principal at Neal Middle School in Durham, NC. He joined the Fayette County Public Schools in 2013 as principal at Cardinal Valley Elementary School and then moved into the role of professional growth and effectiveness coach and assistant principal at Lansdowne Elementary School.

Tyson Steelman, principal at Athens-Chilesburg Elementary

Steelman has 13 years of experience in education, starting his teaching career at Bowling Green High School and South Warren Middle School. After nearly six years in the classroom, he joined the Fayette County Public Schools team as science department chair and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports coach at Beaumont Middle School. After a year as assistant principal at Mount Sterling Elementary School, Steelman returned to Fayette County schools as the professional growth and effectiveness coach at Athens-Chilesburg Elementary School, a position he has held ever since.

Cassaundra Watkins, principal at The Promise Academy at Harrison Elementary School

Watkins comes from the Jefferson County Public Schools, where she was most recently the assistant principal of McFerran Preparatory Academy. She has 19 years of experience in education, having started her career as a substitute teacher before joining the faculty at Atkinson Academy for Excellence, where she taught for five years. After three years as the academic instructional coach at Layne Elementary, Watkins served for six years as an educational recovery leader with the Kentucky Department of Education.