Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning. It's coming up on seven thirty five News
Radio eight forty whas. I'm Tony Cruz. Doctor Marty Polio
is joining us from Jefferson County Public Schools where he
is the superintendent for now. So, doctor Polio, we did
not collude that we were going to be retiring in
the same you know, quarter, but we are.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Congratulations to you, Tony, thank you. I'm excited for you too.
You get to sleep in a little bit now.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yes, sir, yes, sir, that three o'clock alarm is no
longer going to be a part of things in just
a few weeks, and you get up just about as
early as well. What really led for you to come
to retirement here, Well.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
This had been my plan really from the very beginning.
I thought that doing two contracts a contract in superintendency
in Kentucky usually four years, So I did my first four,
got a contract extension for the second half, but knew
that would probably be it, and I had told the
board when we.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Renewed it that this would be my last.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
One, and then confirmed that about a year ago, almost
to the date right now.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Saying that the year that next year, this year, current.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Year, would be my last one, and so it just
eight years is a long time in this business, you know.
I think it gave me the opportunity to make some
important changes, but I think it just you know, you know,
after eight years, it's time to move on to another
challenge and let someone else take over and do some
other things.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
That may be great for the district.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
With that in mind, we have Ben Schuldiner and doctor H.
Bryan year Would who have been selected out of a
field of thirty four applicants. Do you know these men?
Have you talked to either one of them?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
No, I don't know either one of them. I really have,
you know. I've tried my best, Tony not to be
really involved in the process. I have a job to do,
the board's responsibility to hire a superintendent. Obviously wrote some
letters for some internal candidates that I supported, but don't
know these They seem to have a strong past and,
(02:04):
like you know, strong background, but I don't know any
more than what anyone else has read.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
If you have their ears, do you have our ears?
What would you tell the next superintendent? What are some
of the things that you'd like to see happen?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, well, first and foremost, I think this job is
is very different than most superintendency.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
So it's a.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Large district, thirtieth largest in the nation, but also for
you know, for many reasons, and we could do a
whole show on why there is more scrutiny on the
superintendent and the public school district in Louisville than I
think in most cities. You know, we're kind of a
medium size city, but we do have that large media
(02:51):
market that is really I don't know, don't have a
significant amount of the stories that maybe in Indianapolis or
in Nashville has.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
So there's a whole lot of.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Scrutiny here and a lot of criticism of decisions that
are difficult. It's a tough, tough job, and you know,
I think so my recommendation make sure to have thick skin,
you know, make sure to make sound leadership decisions that
are good for kids. You know, I would continue to
say making change because I think in today's world, stagnation
in any organization is horrible and going to be ineffective
(03:25):
with the rate of change that we face. So continue
to look at ways to make change in order to
improve the district and really to improve outcomes for kids.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
What would you say if you could have the year
of the state legislature one final time just to talk
to them about some of the scrutiny that they have
brought up. But also it seems like there was some
warming between you and some legislators as well toward the
toward this last year.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Yeah, well what I'd say, and I do believe this, Tony.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
There may be something that disagree with me, you know,
And that goes with my last answer, which is the
scrutiny around Jefferson County public schools that I think dates
back to the seventies, you know, when bussing started, and
ever since that time, there's been a lot of scrutiny
on this district. And the public school district in Louisville
needs to be successful for the city to be successful.
(04:19):
I say this all the time that public education is
really the answer to most of our community problems long term,
other short term answers, but long term, it's let's get
our kids educated. The more people dig into this district
and really visit our schools, like we had legislators visit
some of our academies of louisvill schools and we're just
(04:41):
blown away.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
And so with the amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Things that are so when you open the doors and
actually go in and look and not just base it
off social media and you know and quick clickbait stories.
People are really impressed with what JCPS is doing. Now,
that doesn't mean that we don't need to improve outcomes.
We do, and that's what we're working towards every day.
But you know, I would just say more than anything,
(05:05):
Tony is get inside the schools. If you want to
visit a JCPS school.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
We'll do that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
See it, see the challenges we face, the good, the bad,
everything that happens. Work to help us out. Hold us accountable,
no question. That's the job of the legislature is to
hold us accountable. But know that I've got a lot
of great people in this district who are doing amazing work.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
If people can wind up helping, you know, I'm assuming
I don't know this because I've been checked of late,
but everyone reads programs things like that. Anyway, when I've
gone to some elementary schools and had the opportunity to
you know, read a book or to some children, I've
actually enjoyed my experience every single time. The teachers have
(05:48):
been great, you know, the kids have been have had
great behavior. I think sometimes it's like everything the one
or two percent of bad things that happen in society,
you know, kind of control. I guess the story so
to speak.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yep, Yep, no, I think. I think you're exactly right.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
And I mean, you know, the thing is when people
get into our schools, first of all, they understand the
amazing challenges that many of our kids in this community
go through. And these are just not we talk percentages
a lot of percentage of this, scored proficient, a percentage
of that. But when you get in and you actually
are interacting with kids, I mean you understand, like, first
(06:28):
of all, how awesome these kids are, but many of
the challenges that they face too, and most of those
come with things like poverty. So you know, i'd really
encourage people to get involved, whether that's reading the kids,
whether that's and Academies of Louisville program, if you're in
a business and reaching out and saying how can we
be a business partner to just saying what's the local
school close to me? I'm gonna I'm going to join
(06:50):
their pta, which is fine, you know, citizens can do that,
and I'm going to help out with something at the
school level. That's going to make, you know, the culture
for the better for kids, you know, just little things
like that with when kids see people you know coming
up and helping in their school, it means a lot
to them. So I just think, you know, and more
(07:11):
than anything for the people that are volunteering is seeing
the effectiveness that's happening inside of the schools.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
One thing we can't do. We can't control parents and
their connected to schools and making sure their kids want
to be educated. I think that's been a real hard
challenge for public education throughout our country right now.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Well, I mean, let's be honest here that when we
talk about this, seventeen hours a day during the week
and twenty four hours a day on weekend, summers and holidays,
kids are somewhere outside of the school walls. So really
about eighty percent of a child's time is spent outside
of the school walls. We get them for about twenty
(07:54):
percent of their time one out of five, and that
means they're really going to be impacted by the end
environment with which in which they live, in their community
and all kinds of things, and that can be great,
and that can be very challenging for kids and so
you know that from pre natal you know, all the
way to when a child enters kindergarten and on through,
(08:15):
all the activity that happens outside of school is really
impactful on them. So I do say this, Tony. You know,
as an educator, we can acknowledge.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
That I can't use that as an excuse.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I call it a tBu with my staff, which is
true but useless. So you know it's you know, your
your statement is true, but it's useless for us. So
let's do the work. So let's get in there and
figure out what we can do and take every kid
when they walk in the door, whatever their experiences are,
we're going to meet them where they are, and you
know what, We're going to embrace them and say, all right,
(08:46):
let's let's let's tackle these challenges together. But you know,
it's quite hard when it's ninety six thousand students and
you know, sixty eight percent of them qualify for free
and reduce lunch, and twenty two thousand are multi lingual learners.
And I could go on and on to make excuses,
but you know, those challenges just exist.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I don't know if people know this, but I know
some of our audience do, and that is I don't
know what the number is percentage wise, but when you know,
we raise taxes here and everybody gets upset about JCPS
raising taxes or whatever the case may be, here, a
(09:26):
lot of that money goes outside of the county to
other poor county counties. Do you think that we need
to get our legislature here in Jefferson County to try
and see if we can have some of that left
here for like, for example, the schools that have English
as a second language and those kind of situations.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah, I absolutely believe.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
It's called the Sekh Fund formula, which is what's called equalization.
It really dates back to the early nineties Tony when
you would have property rich districts and property poor, and
so the property value poor districts, usually in eastern Kentucky,
like in the mountains, had very dilapidated facilities, couldn't pay
teachers all of those things because they had really no
(10:09):
property value. And then wealthy property assessed districts had all
of this money, and so they created an equalization formula,
which I understand, you know that I get that. But
what happens is so the more property.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Value you have, the more money you.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Send to other property poor property. You know, the property value.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Is lower districts.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Unfortunately, Jefferson County is an anomaly because we are a
very property value or assessed wealthy area, but extreme high poverty.
So most districts, if they're high property value, they're also
very low poverty when it comes to students. Jefferson County,
as we all know, is not like that. So we
(10:55):
are sending money out of a public school district that
has an extreme amount of poverty to other districts that
have that have poverty.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
So you know, an example maybe Oldham County, which Oldham
County is a very property wealthy area, but they're also
very low when it comes to student poverty.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
But we are just that anomaly. And there's a couple
others like us, but we are that anomaly. So, yes,
we're sending money. You know, we're for every dollar we're
taken in, we get about thirty three.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Cents on that.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
So, yes, it's important for everyone to know that, Yes,
the property you know that we are actually you know,
sending those dollars outside of the Jefferson County you know,
borders throughout the you know, for decades now, so it's
just a real challenge for us, and I'd really encourage
(11:45):
the legislators to take another It's probably time. It's been
about four decades. It's probably time now three or four decades,
it's time to take another look at the Sikh formula
and find a better way.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Well, good luck at IVY Tech. I might enroll.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Hey, come on over, Tony, I'm going to have you.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Find my new career, all right, doctor Mardiya Polio, good
to talk to you, and let's go to lunch again sometime, you.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Too, buddy, Congratulations.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
You too, Thanks so much, and congratulations to you, Marti Polio.
Here on Kentuck, Cantas Warning News news Radio A forty
whs's got to get some traffic weather real quick here
and Scotty was sports coming up
Good morning. It's coming up on seven thirty five News
Radio eight forty whas. I'm Tony Cruz. Doctor Marty Polio
is joining us from Jefferson County Public Schools where he
is the superintendent for now. So, doctor Polio, we did
not collude that we were going to be retiring in
the same you know, quarter, but we are.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Congratulations to you, Tony, thank you. I'm excited for you too.
You get to sleep in a little bit now.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yes, sir, yes, sir, that three o'clock alarm is no
longer going to be a part of things in just
a few weeks, and you get up just about as
early as well. What really led for you to come
to retirement here, Well.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
This had been my plan really from the very beginning.
I thought that doing two contracts a contract in superintendency
in Kentucky usually four years, So I did my first four,
got a contract extension for the second half, but knew
that would probably be it, and I had told the
board when we.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Renewed it that this would be my last.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
One, and then confirmed that about a year ago, almost
to the date right now.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Saying that the year that next year, this year, current.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Year, would be my last one, and so it just
eight years is a long time in this business, you know.
I think it gave me the opportunity to make some
important changes, but I think it just you know, you know,
after eight years, it's time to move on to another
challenge and let someone else take over and do some
other things.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
That may be great for the district.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
With that in mind, we have Ben Schuldiner and doctor H.
Bryan year Would who have been selected out of a
field of thirty four applicants. Do you know these men?
Have you talked to either one of them?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
No, I don't know either one of them. I really have,
you know. I've tried my best, Tony not to be
really involved in the process. I have a job to do,
the board's responsibility to hire a superintendent. Obviously wrote some
letters for some internal candidates that I supported, but don't
know these They seem to have a strong past and,
(02:04):
like you know, strong background, but I don't know any
more than what anyone else has read.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
If you have their ears, do you have our ears?
What would you tell the next superintendent? What are some
of the things that you'd like to see happen?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, well, first and foremost, I think this job is
is very different than most superintendency.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
So it's a.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Large district, thirtieth largest in the nation, but also for
you know, for many reasons, and we could do a
whole show on why there is more scrutiny on the
superintendent and the public school district in Louisville than I
think in most cities. You know, we're kind of a
medium size city, but we do have that large media
(02:51):
market that is really I don't know, don't have a
significant amount of the stories that maybe in Indianapolis or
in Nashville has.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
So there's a whole lot of.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Scrutiny here and a lot of criticism of decisions that
are difficult. It's a tough, tough job, and you know,
I think so my recommendation make sure to have thick skin,
you know, make sure to make sound leadership decisions that
are good for kids. You know, I would continue to
say making change because I think in today's world, stagnation
in any organization is horrible and going to be ineffective
(03:25):
with the rate of change that we face. So continue
to look at ways to make change in order to
improve the district and really to improve outcomes for kids.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
What would you say if you could have the year
of the state legislature one final time just to talk
to them about some of the scrutiny that they have
brought up. But also it seems like there was some
warming between you and some legislators as well toward the
toward this last year.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Yeah, well what I'd say, and I do believe this, Tony.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
There may be something that disagree with me, you know,
And that goes with my last answer, which is the
scrutiny around Jefferson County public schools that I think dates
back to the seventies, you know, when bussing started, and
ever since that time, there's been a lot of scrutiny
on this district. And the public school district in Louisville
needs to be successful for the city to be successful.
(04:19):
I say this all the time that public education is
really the answer to most of our community problems long term,
other short term answers, but long term, it's let's get
our kids educated. The more people dig into this district
and really visit our schools, like we had legislators visit
some of our academies of louisvill schools and we're just
(04:41):
blown away.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
And so with the amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Things that are so when you open the doors and
actually go in and look and not just base it
off social media and you know and quick clickbait stories.
People are really impressed with what JCPS is doing. Now,
that doesn't mean that we don't need to improve outcomes.
We do, and that's what we're working towards every day.
But you know, I would just say more than anything,
(05:05):
Tony is get inside the schools. If you want to
visit a JCPS school.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
We'll do that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
See it, see the challenges we face, the good, the bad,
everything that happens. Work to help us out. Hold us accountable,
no question. That's the job of the legislature is to
hold us accountable. But know that I've got a lot
of great people in this district who are doing amazing work.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
If people can wind up helping, you know, I'm assuming
I don't know this because I've been checked of late,
but everyone reads programs things like that. Anyway, when I've
gone to some elementary schools and had the opportunity to
you know, read a book or to some children, I've
actually enjoyed my experience every single time. The teachers have
(05:48):
been great, you know, the kids have been have had
great behavior. I think sometimes it's like everything the one
or two percent of bad things that happen in society,
you know, kind of control. I guess the story so
to speak.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yep, Yep, no, I think. I think you're exactly right.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
And I mean, you know, the thing is when people
get into our schools, first of all, they understand the
amazing challenges that many of our kids in this community
go through. And these are just not we talk percentages
a lot of percentage of this, scored proficient, a percentage
of that. But when you get in and you actually
are interacting with kids, I mean you understand, like, first
(06:28):
of all, how awesome these kids are, but many of
the challenges that they face too, and most of those
come with things like poverty. So you know, i'd really
encourage people to get involved, whether that's reading the kids,
whether that's and Academies of Louisville program, if you're in
a business and reaching out and saying how can we
be a business partner to just saying what's the local
school close to me? I'm gonna I'm going to join
(06:50):
their pta, which is fine, you know, citizens can do that,
and I'm going to help out with something at the
school level. That's going to make, you know, the culture
for the better for kids, you know, just little things
like that with when kids see people you know coming
up and helping in their school, it means a lot
to them. So I just think, you know, and more
(07:11):
than anything for the people that are volunteering is seeing
the effectiveness that's happening inside of the schools.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
One thing we can't do. We can't control parents and
their connected to schools and making sure their kids want
to be educated. I think that's been a real hard
challenge for public education throughout our country right now.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Well, I mean, let's be honest here that when we
talk about this, seventeen hours a day during the week
and twenty four hours a day on weekend, summers and holidays,
kids are somewhere outside of the school walls. So really
about eighty percent of a child's time is spent outside
of the school walls. We get them for about twenty
(07:54):
percent of their time one out of five, and that
means they're really going to be impacted by the end
environment with which in which they live, in their community
and all kinds of things, and that can be great,
and that can be very challenging for kids and so
you know that from pre natal you know, all the
way to when a child enters kindergarten and on through,
(08:15):
all the activity that happens outside of school is really
impactful on them. So I do say this, Tony. You know,
as an educator, we can acknowledge.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
That I can't use that as an excuse.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I call it a tBu with my staff, which is
true but useless. So you know it's you know, your
your statement is true, but it's useless for us. So
let's do the work. So let's get in there and
figure out what we can do and take every kid
when they walk in the door, whatever their experiences are,
we're going to meet them where they are, and you
know what, We're going to embrace them and say, all right,
(08:46):
let's let's let's tackle these challenges together. But you know,
it's quite hard when it's ninety six thousand students and
you know, sixty eight percent of them qualify for free
and reduce lunch, and twenty two thousand are multi lingual learners.
And I could go on and on to make excuses,
but you know, those challenges just exist.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I don't know if people know this, but I know
some of our audience do, and that is I don't
know what the number is percentage wise, but when you know,
we raise taxes here and everybody gets upset about JCPS
raising taxes or whatever the case may be, here, a
(09:26):
lot of that money goes outside of the county to
other poor county counties. Do you think that we need
to get our legislature here in Jefferson County to try
and see if we can have some of that left
here for like, for example, the schools that have English
as a second language and those kind of situations.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah, I absolutely believe.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
It's called the Sekh Fund formula, which is what's called equalization.
It really dates back to the early nineties Tony when
you would have property rich districts and property poor, and
so the property value poor districts, usually in eastern Kentucky,
like in the mountains, had very dilapidated facilities, couldn't pay
teachers all of those things because they had really no
(10:09):
property value. And then wealthy property assessed districts had all
of this money, and so they created an equalization formula,
which I understand, you know that I get that. But
what happens is so the more property.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Value you have, the more money you.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Send to other property poor property. You know, the property value.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Is lower districts.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Unfortunately, Jefferson County is an anomaly because we are a
very property value or assessed wealthy area, but extreme high poverty.
So most districts, if they're high property value, they're also
very low poverty when it comes to students. Jefferson County,
as we all know, is not like that. So we
(10:55):
are sending money out of a public school district that
has an extreme amount of poverty to other districts that
have that have poverty.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
So you know, an example maybe Oldham County, which Oldham
County is a very property wealthy area, but they're also
very low when it comes to student poverty.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
But we are just that anomaly. And there's a couple
others like us, but we are that anomaly. So, yes,
we're sending money. You know, we're for every dollar we're
taken in, we get about thirty three.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Cents on that.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
So, yes, it's important for everyone to know that, Yes,
the property you know that we are actually you know,
sending those dollars outside of the Jefferson County you know,
borders throughout the you know, for decades now, so it's
just a real challenge for us, and I'd really encourage
(11:45):
the legislators to take another It's probably time. It's been
about four decades. It's probably time now three or four decades,
it's time to take another look at the Sikh formula
and find a better way.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Well, good luck at IVY Tech. I might enroll.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Hey, come on over, Tony, I'm going to have you.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Find my new career, all right, doctor Mardiya Polio, good
to talk to you, and let's go to lunch again sometime, you.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Too, buddy, Congratulations.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
You too, Thanks so much, and congratulations to you, Marti Polio.
Here on Kentuck, Cantas Warning News news Radio A forty
whs's got to get some traffic weather real quick here
and Scotty was sports coming up
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