Taking A Page From Elaine Farris, Kentucky’s First Black Superintendent

We’ve just celebrated International Women’s Day, and goodness, do we have a lot to celebrate. People from around the world are recognizing the tremendous power and potential of women from all sorts of backgrounds, and with it being Women’s History Month, what better place to start than with the inspiring women of our own Commonwealth?

Elaine Farris, Kentucky’s first Black superintendent, recently sat down with Education Dive to discuss her journey to the highest role in her district. As she puts it, it wasn’t always easy:

It was interesting. It was a challenge, and I will say that I thank God that he made me like he made me, because I am a person who will stand up and speak up for what’s right… I’ll never forget my first conference as a superintendent, the president of the association said to all the female superintendents, “We want you all to read this book, and you can have your own strand of meetings at the conference.” And I said, “Do you think I’ve been through all the trouble I’ve been through to get a seat at the table for you to tell me I can’t eat?”

Farris’ journey through educational leadership is inspiring, and one that we can certainly all learn from. Go check it out!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *