Former teacher appointed to open seat on Fayette County school board
Kentucky Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis has appointed Will Nash, a former teacher who now works in professional development for educators, to the first district Fayette County Public Schools board seat.
Nash, 35, replaces Melissa Bacon, who was board chair when she held the seat that covers southern Fayette County. Bacon has said she resigned in August to care for her elderly mother.
Lewis said that as an educator and education leader, Nash “has spent most of his career serving traditionally underserved student populations.”
“Most important of all, Will is driven by the desire to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have access to an education that prepares them to make meaningful contributions to the world around them. I have the utmost confidence he will always put the students of Fayette County first,” Lewis said in a statement.
Under state law, Nash will serve for one year and the seat will be up for election in the fall of 2019.
“I have a deep belief in the potential of all students to excel at really high levels. I think my knowledge and experience in the education sector leads me to be a strong advocate for students and families,” Nash said in an interview. “The direction of the school system often determines the direction of the community and I am passionate about Lexington being an excellent place to live and work.”
According to Nash’s application to the Kentucky Department of Education, obtained by the Herald-Leader under the Kentucky Open Records Act, he currently works with a firm called New Leaders that is focused on developing the leadership of principals, teachers and superintendents.
Nash said he is a board member for Transform Education Kentucky, an independent non-profit organization that pilots innovations in education.
He is the former executive director of Teach for America-Appalachia, a role in which he worked with 20 school districts across eastern and southeastern Kentucky to bring students in the area an equitable education.
He is a graduate of Glasgow High School and the University of Kentucky - where his activities included being named homecoming king. Nash moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2006 to teach middle school math after Hurricane Katrina.
Nash said he previously served as a member of a Florida Department of Education task force on teacher preparation.
One of the more controversial issues facing the Fayette school board is the opinion of individual members on charter schools, given that they will be charged with approving or denying applications from people who want to open them.
“As a board member its my responsibility to diligently review all charter school applications that come before the board and make a determination on a case-by-case basis,” Nash told the Herald-Leader. “I’m only interested in charter schools that have a plan to serve students who are not otherwise being served by Fayette County’s existing schools. I don’t believe that charter schools are any type of silver bullet.”
Kentucky Department of Education documents show that there were four other applicants. According to the applications, they are semi-retired businessman Doug Jones; Jamie Bloyd, who works with the American Childhood Cancer Organization; Brian Nurick, who serves as a financial advisor to school boards and Kelly Bradley, a professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation.
There will also soon be another new face on the school board. Psychologist Shambra Mulder and Boyle County High School social studies teacher Tyler Murphy are running in the November 6 general election for the second district seat, which includes northern Fayette County. It is open because current board member Doug Barnett is not running for reelection.