Kentucky Chamber Foundation Senior Vice President Beth Davisson and Henderson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bob Lawson testified before the Interim Joint Committee on Education on Tuesday to share details about the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Leadership Institute for School Principals program.
“I’ve had many opportunities for professional development, many trainings, and largely those were about leading others. What was different about the Leadership Institute for School Principals is that it’s about self-awareness. It is about self-development. It’s about leading the self well so that we can lead others well,” said Dr. Lawson, a program graduate.
The Leadership Institute for School Principals has trained more than 600 principals from 112 counties in the Commonwealth, Davisson told legislators. In partnership with the Truist Leadership Institute, principals attend a year-long professional leadership training designed for top executives that focuses on developing and mastering key leadership dynamics.
Truist provides $12,000 of in-kind support for every principal, while Kentucky businesses contribute the remaining $5,500 to sponsor principals from their respective local schools—an investment in both education and the development of the future workforce. Davisson emphasized that sponsoring principals gives businesses a meaningful opportunity to take an active role in improving educational outcomes in their communities.
The two leaders said the investment is returning to them through teacher satisfaction and improving student outcomes. Dr. Lawson said his district completed a case study in 2023 that showed improving test scores across several schools, and the “common denominator” was that the principal completed the Leadership Institute for School Principals.
With 18 graduates from Henderson County Schools and three more principals in the program, Dr. Lawson emphasized the importance of broadening the program’s scope so these results can be replicated across all districts in the state.
To learn more about the Leadership Institute for School Principals, visit https://www.principalsleadky.com/.
Stay tuned to The Bottom Line for more on the 2025 legislative interim.
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