Superintendent, Covington Independent Public Schools

About Covington

Covington Independent Public Schools (CIPS), one of Kentucky’s largest independent school districts, serves approximately 3,500 PreK–12 students across an early childhood education center, five elementary schools, one middle school, a comprehensive high school with vocational and alternative pathways, and an adult high school program. As home to Kentucky’s oldest public high school, CIPS carries a proud 200-year legacy of serving its community with excellence. Today, it serves a richly diverse student body—approximately one-third White, one-third Hispanic, and one-third Black—and is united by a deep belief in the brilliance of every child. 

About the Superintendent

Reporting to the five-member elected Board, the next Superintendent will lead Covington Independent Public Schools at a pivotal moment in its 200-year history. The next Superintendent will be called to lead with courage, humility, and vision—building on Covington’s strong foundation while boldly advancing a future where all students can dream, achieve, and succeed. This leader will honor the district’s pride, legacy, and diversity while working closely with staff, students, families, city leaders, and community partners to craft a clear vision for the future. The ideal candidate will join the district at a critical inflection point, where stakeholders are hungry for change and recognize that current approaches must evolve to deliver the results Covington students deserve.

This person will bring the PreK-12 educational leadership experience and cultural competence to address key challenges in academic performance and student success. They will build trust, deepen community confidence, and cultivate partnerships that expand access, elevate the district’s reputation, and position Covington Independent Public Schools as the first-choice option for all families in our community.

What You’ll Do (“Key Responsibilities”)

• Build the roadmap to implement the community’s vision and design strategies that drive significant improvement in student achievement for all students
• Above all, lead with students at the center—ensuring every decision is anchored in the belief that Covington children can thrive when given the opportunity, time, and support.
• Using the Comprehensive District Improvement Plan (CDIP) as foundation, establish a vision for dramatically improving academic and instructional excellence, centering on what matters most to students and families.
• Ensure alignment of the academic program across elementary, middle and high school to ensure a cohesive PreK-12 experience for all students.
• Champion and advocate for all students and strengthen support for multilingual and multicultural students and students with disabilities.
• Bring to bear innovative instructional models and structures based on research and best practices to better prepare students for college and career pathways, including early college models, dual enrollment opportunities, and new apprenticeship and certification options.
• Institute district-wide systems for MTSS and Tier I instruction, so that all students have access to grade-level content and especially for multilingual learners.

• Develop a culture of accountability, transparency, excellence and continuous improvement
• Understand the district’s history, successes, and trends in order to improve the district’s academic and social-emotional support model and service delivery to students and address achievement and opportunity gaps.
• Implement transparent accountability systems that are clear, fair, and consistently applied across all levels—from teachers to central office.
• Create feedback loops that turn data into action - ensuring that assessment data, staff and student input, and performance metrics drive continuous improvement in academics and operations.
• Build systems and structures that enable teacher and principal autonomy while ensuring district coherence and empowering site-based decision-making where possible.
• Cultivate a high-performance culture across the leadership team and district by positioning the Central Office as a responsive, service-oriented partner to schools—ensuring structures and roles are aligned to support collaboration and put more resources, respect, and authority where they belong: in the hands of educators and school leaders closest to students.
• Foster student power by creating infrastructures that empower and elevate student voice in various levels of decision making.

• Build high-performing leaders, systems, and structures that support district-wide excellence
• Recruit, develop, and retain exceptional leaders, teachers and support staff, with specific focus on reducing the 20-30% annual turnover.
• Build a diverse leadership team and staff that reflects the demographics and cultural backgrounds of students and families.
• Create leadership pipelines and career pipelines that develop internal talent while bringing in strategic external expertise.
• Actively coach and develop the leadership team to be effective in their roles and in the management of their teams and functional areas.
• Develop creative retention strategies including competitive compensation, housing partnerships, and professional growth opportunities.

• Maintain strong financial stewardship while strengthening operations and facilities
• Provide strategic oversight of the district's $65M budget with transparency and fiscal responsibility, ensuring that resource allocation decisions are clearly communicated, aligned with district goals, and directly support student success.
• Lead long-term financial planning that reflects enrollment trends and future needs, balancing immediate demands with sustained investment in academic outcomes.
• Maximize operational efficiencies to ensure more resources flow directly into classrooms—where they have the greatest impact on students and staff.
• Systematize key financial and operational functions to increase productivity, streamline processes and workflow management systems, and expand access to critical information for internal and external stakeholders.
• Champion Covington at the state and regional level as a strong advocate for public education funding, working to ensure students and staff receive the resources they deserve.
• Guide the implementation of the long-term master facilities plan and address capacity imbalances collaboratively with the board, staff, families, and community.
• Make strategic investments in teacher and staff compensation as a key strategy to strengthen morale, recruitment, and retention.

• Leverage the board, city and community as partners in order to strengthen support and increase transparency
• Ensure that the district’s mission and vision and strategic priorities are clearly articulated and understood by the board, staff, families, community partners and stakeholders.
• Keep the Board of Education informed and engaged as a strategic thought partner, ensuring that key decisions reflect both sound governance and the shared vision of district leadership.
• Cultivate strong working relationships with the city and community, identifying opportunities for partnership and collaboration in services for students with nonprofits and other entities to reduce barriers for students and bolster workforce development and housing opportunities.
• In collaboration with key partners, systematize partnerships and wraparound services to address families needs. 
• Develop data-sharing agreements with neighboring districts and key partners so that student mobility can be managed in service what is best for the child.
• Partner with the Board of Education to ensure the district is well-represented and actively engaged across civic, business, and philanthropic spaces throughout the region.
• Maintain strong visibility and accessibility as the public face and ambassador of the district, telling CIPS’s story and shifting regional perceptions.
• Engage families, students, and staff in meaningful two-way communication and shared decision-making to build trust and shared ownership for change.

Requirements

Skills You’ll Need to be Successful (“Core Competencies”)

• Academic Visionary, Turnaround and Change Management Leader 
• Deep knowledge of evidence-based instructional practices and interventions with diverse learners, including a proven track record of improving student learning and closing gaps in similar contexts.
• Analyzes the conditions for change and articulates the vision for change to inspire and create ownership and buy-in at all levels. 
• Understands the tension between the need for urgency and the reality of change management and clear understanding of the path forward.  
• Courageous Decision-Maker
• Engages in transparency in decision-making, able to articulate the “why”, and shares with stakeholders how their input informed the district’s decisions.
• Prioritizes the most urgent decisions and willingly makes difficult decisions when necessary in the best interest of the district as a whole.
• Navigates uncertainty and effectively manages complex challenges with clarity, resilience, and a steady focus on long-term student success.
• Diagnostic and Systems Thinker
• Utilizes multiple data sources (quantitative and qualitative) to pinpoint problems and root causes, ask probing questions, and develop innovative solutions.
• Understands when problems are systemic versus individual performance issues and responds accordingly.
• Operates at a micro and macro level, and balances the overarching goals with detailed steps to achieve the district’s objectives and priorities.
• Exhibits a strong focus on goals, accountability, and results; set clear metrics for success for the district and staff.
• Authentic and Strategic Communicator
• Communicates effectively, tailoring messages for the audience, context, and mode of communication.
• Seeks, welcomes, and elevates the voices of the diverse community to ensure diverse input, new perspectives, and new innovative solutions to key decisions.
• Expresses ideas with clarity, respect, and awareness in conversations and interaction.
• Models integrity through actions and communications; upholds principles and values in the face of challenges.
• Respond to feedback and concerns in a timely and empathetic manner.
• Coalition and Consensus Builder
• Ability to hold multiple perspectives simultaneously and find third-way solutions.
• Maintains visibility and accessibility in the schools and greater community, engaging genuinely with others in a way that engenders trust and creates opportunity for two-way dialogue. 
• Listens actively and intentionally to understand and find common ground.
• Challenges assumptions and preconceived notions when needed to avoid distraction from core priorities and goals in the best interest of student success.
• Navigate politically complex structures, relationships, and dynamics to enable thoughtful decisions and positive outcomes for students.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ten years or more of progressive and demonstrated leadership in an urban or suburban K-12 school system or similar size/scale/complexity. 
• Master’s Degree  from an accredited college or university in administration and/or supervision. Doctorate preferred.
• Proven track record of improving student achievement and closing gaps in diverse economic, multicultural, and multilingual communities and environments. Spanish language proficiency is a plus.
• Knowledgeable about the Covington and Northern Kentucky community and/or committed to becoming an engaged and longstanding member of the community.  
• Possess or meet the eligibility requirements for a Superintendent’s license in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in accordance with  KRS 160.350 (2).
• Reside in Kentucky or establish residency in Kentucky in accordance with KRS 160.350 (2).
• Knowledge of public school policy and law, procedures, and management. 

Benefits

The salary range for this integral leadership position is $180-210,000 annually, commensurate with prior experience. In addition, a comprehensive benefits package will be included in the ultimate offer for the identified sole finalist.  We look forward to discussing details with you as the interview process progresses.