In his latest evaluation, Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio was dinged by school board members for the past year's transportation failures, while receiving praise for academic improvements.
The review, released after Tuesday's Jefferson County Board of Education meeting, is Pollio's seventh since he took on the district's top position. And while he previously said he had "disagreements" with the evaluation , Pollio said he was "overall very pleased with it."
JCPS officials initially posted an incorrect version of the evaluation online during the meeting before replacing it with the correct version mid-Wednesday.
Ranked on seven different standards, Pollio was rated "improvement required" for his human resources leadership — the lowest rating he could and has ever received. In every evaluation since 2020, Pollio has received one of the top two ranking for each standard evaluated.
The rating, according to the evaluation, relates to the "staffing crisis that greatly contributed to the cancellation and delay of opening school for two weeks and the persistent bus delays for the remainder" of the 2023-2024 school year.
While recognizing shortages of teachers and bus drivers are issues for districts nationally, the review states the school board "is concerned with the consistency and depth of the district's efforts to address the crisis."
More needs to be done, it continues, "to ensure the retention of all employees, but particularly those employee groups experiencing vacancies. Finally, we encourage Dr. Pollio to ensure that all leadership vacancies utilize an aggressive search process, including national searches where appropriate."
The evaluation was overwhelmingly approved by Jefferson County Board of Education, though District 2's Chris Kolb voted against accepting it. Kolb wrote to board members last month that he would not participate in the evaluation process, citing — among other reasons — that he felt it was unfair to place blame of the busing disaster solely on Pollio's feet.
On Tuesday, Pollio said he understood the busing issues needed to be reflected in his performance and that what happened last year is not a reflection of those who work in the district's human resources department.
Pollio also said he was very pleased with receiving an "exemplary" ranking — the highest possible — for his instructional leadership. This is the first time Pollio has ranked that high for that standard.
The evaluation notes changes made over the past several years, including the establishment of the Academies of Louisville program and the adoption of a new reading curriculum that aligns with the latest research on best practices. Building on that momentum, it noted, the district was named this year by Harvard and Stanford researchers "as a national leader in post-pandemic academic recovery."
"This recognition is in no doubt due to the intentionality of Dr. Pollio in developing systems and supports for both teachers and students," the evaluation states.
Despite the high ranking that the board believes Pollio deserves, the evaluation states members acknowledge "this continues to be an area for additional improvement in closing various achievement gaps to ensure every child receives an equitable and quality education."
In all other areas of leadership — cultural, influential, managerial, strategic and collaborative — Pollio was ranked as "accomplished."
Pollio became acting superintendent of JCPS in 2017 before taking the role on permanently in 2018. His initial contract was set to end in 2022, but the board reappointed him for another term in 2021. His current contract is up next June.
In last year's evaluation, Pollio was given one of the top two designations for each standard and the board voted to give him a near $76,000 raise.
At the time, the board applauded Pollio for pushing "an aggressive agenda this year to make major changes," including the new school start times, facility plan, summer learning programs, staff salary increases and a more equitable funding formula.
Contact Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: JCPS' Pollio dinged for busing failures in new evaluation
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