SHELBYVILLE, Ky. — In celebration of American Education week, Shelby County Public Schools (SCPS) is inviting elected county and state officials to take over campuses as "Principal for a Day" program.
This inaugural program is putting elected officials statewide in the driver seat as they get to see the inner workings of a school firsthand.
Bus lines, lunch duty, and teacher observations — they’re all in a day’s work for principals at Shelby County Public Schools.
But for one day, Shelby County Judge Executive Dan Ison is trading in his judge’s seat for a principal seat for a few hours at Heritage Elementary when he got to share the duty of overseeing a campus.
"It’s been many years since I’ve been in an elementary school, but the new elementary school of today is so rewarding when you get in here you see what our teachers are doing, what our students are doing," explains Ison.
The arrangement was part of the Kentucky Association of School Administrators’s “Principal for a Day” when it was enacted during the 2021 legislative session in March.
During his visit, the grandfather of four got the opportunity to tour the campus and observe how teachers lead the next generation.
"We as elected officials have an obligation to all the citizens of our community to understand our education system, what they need, what they don’t have," said Ison.
The inaugural program is designed to give legislators a first hand glimpse at what is going on in Kentucky schools and to build stronger partnerships with public education.
"While the county judge is not directly involved in education, the county board of education runs the school system, I am an advocate and I’m a lobbyist for this school system that we have to make sure that we’re properly funded," adds Ison.
He noted that partnerships between elected officials and schools are crucial, so students can gain a competitive edge when they graduate.
"The schools are so important to our economic growth. We’re turning out the workers of the future. We’re educating the worker of the future," explains Ison.
Dr. Sally Sugg is Shelby County Public School’s superintendent. Dr. Sugg says this program provides elected officials with an opportunity to suggest ways to tailor instruction to better meet the needs of our future workforce.
"It gives all of our local officials just a more realistic picture of what’s going on not only in the school but then in the community because our schools are just a reflection of our community," said Dr. Sugg.
JJ Black is the Principal at Heritage Elementary. She says having a bigger voice in state education policy on campuses district wide is in the best interest of students, teachers, and the entire state.
"If you don’t know you can’t help and that’s what we’re hoping to get out of this; is that they’ll get to brag where they live, the community they serve, but they also get to see how they can help," explains Black.
Judge Ison says today was a little different compared to regular workdays, but it was something he enjoyed.
"The better our education system is the better our community in the future will be," suggests Ison.
According to organizers, 14 county and state leaders within Shelby County participated in this years "Principal for a Day" program.