While Fayette County’s sixth high school has still not been named, Superintendent Manny Caulk has announced who will take the helm of the district’s first new high school in more than 25 years. Lester Diaz, who has successfully led Bryan Station Middle School since 2012, will be principal of the new school under construction off Winchester Road in northeast Lexington.
“Lester has an exciting vision for the new high school that makes a part of me wish I were back at the school level so I could be a member of the team preparing to welcome students next fall,” Caulk said. “This is a situation where leadership meets opportunity, and that is when innovation occurs. I look for this school to be a model of 21st century learning.”
Caulk also kept a promise to Lexington’s high school students, announcing the hiring of a college and career coach for each of the district’s high schools.
“These positions have been created because students told me this was a need,” he said, referring to the listening sessions he held with students as part of his entry plan last spring. “Anybody can say they’re listening, but I want our students to know they were heard. This is a prime example of positive change that’s been driven by student voice.”
Diaz, who has 17 years of experience in education, started his career teaching in Miami, Fla. He joined Fayette County Public Schools in 2004 as a science teacher at Lafayette High School, where he also served as an in-school suspension instructor, dean of students, assistant athletic director, and assistant football coach. Diaz was an assistant principal at Henry Clay High School for three years before accepting the head principal’s job at Bryan Station Middle. He holds a bachelor’s degree in science education from Florida International University, and master’s degrees in Instructional Leadership and sports administration from Eastern Kentucky University.
“It is exceedingly rare to have the privilege of opening a new high school, and I’m humbled to have the opportunity to join the company of those great leaders who have gone before me,” Diaz said. “While I am thrilled and excited to begin the work of ensuring that Fayette County’s sixth high school opens as one of the top schools in the nation, this is also a bittersweet day for me because this means I have to say good-bye to the home and people at Bryan Station Middle School who helped mold and shape me into the leader I am.”
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Other new staff
The district’s newly hired career and college coaches are:
- Pam Bates, who is assigned to Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, brings 21 years of professional experience to this role, most recently as director of academic advising and assessment and completion 2016 coach at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Morehead State University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Kentucky.
- Vince Bingham, assigned to Henry Clay High School, brings 18 years of professional experience, most recently as the coordinator for academic enrichment services with the Kentucky Council for Postsecondary Education GEAR UP Kentucky. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Transylvania University and a master’s degree in educational policy studies and evaluation from the University of Kentucky.
- Kate FitzGerald, assigned to Lafayette High School, brings more than 13 years of professional experience, most recently as universities and community liaison at The Learning Center. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Berea College, and a master’s degree and an educational specialist’s degree in education counseling psychology from the University of Kentucky.
- Marian Granville, assigned to the new high school, brings 17 years of professional experience, most recently as workforce coordinator/success coach at BCTC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in human services from Liberty University.
- Charliese Lewis, assigned to Tates Creek High School, brings more than 15 years of professional experience, most recently as coordinator for school improvement services, advising and assessment with the Council on Postsecondary Education, GEAR UP Kentucky. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English education from Kentucky State University and a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University, and she is working on her doctoral degree in educational policy/evaluation at the University of Kentucky.
- Therron Rogers, assigned to Bryan Station High School, brings four years of professional experience, most recently as a college and career readiness counselor with the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and master’s degree in education counseling and personal services, both from the University of Louisville and is pursuing a doctoral degree in leadership in higher education at Bellarmine University.
“Our team just keeps getting stronger with each hire,” Caulk said as he also officially welcomed two more key personnel at the district’s main office.
Miranda Scully is now the family and community engagement coordinator, joining FCPS from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, where she was the School and Community Engagement manager. Prior to that, Scully worked with the University of Kentucky’s Center for Academic Resources & Enrichment Services (CARES) as an academic counselor and BCTC’s Upward Bound Program as student development specialist. Scully is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in social work and sociology as well as her master’s degree in social work.
“Miranda’s experience provides our team the necessary leadership capacity and subject matter expertise to engage and prepare all levels of our constituency: students, families, schools, and community partners with essential assets and skills for understanding how to navigate our great schools,” said Darryl Thompson, acting equity officer, who oversees the family and community engagement office. “Her social work and mental health services background will allow FCPS to deliver a cohesive framework of supports and professional learning enrichments to all including, historically underrepresented students, families, and oftentimes marginalized populations of our schools and communities through coordinated outreach with our community partners.”
The district’s world language specialist, Laura Roche’ Youngworth, has 24 years of experience as a world language teacher, in Covington, Anderson County and Fayette County. She has also held leadership roles as Gifted & Talented Program coordinator in Anderson County and as district world languages and global competency content lead in Fayette County since 2015. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in French, English, and secondary education, a master’s degree and rank I in curriculum and instruction, and a doctoral degree in administration and instruction.
“Laura is an accomplished and dedicated educator who understands the critical importance of preparing our students for a competitive global society,” said Michael Dailey, associate director of Federal, State and Magnet Programs, the department where world languages is housed. “She has a vision for world languages and understands what it will take to move our district beyond the 21st century.”
Scully and Roche’ Youngworth have already started in their new jobs. The six college and career coaches will begin Sept. 6.
A transition plan for Diaz is under development. The School-Based Decision Making Council at Bryan Station Middle will meet Aug. 22 to decide whether to request an interim or begin the process of selecting a permanent replacement.