‘No one speaks to me.’ FCPS board member may skip team-building session

The Fayette school board is paying at least $90,000 to a consultant hired to help the district become more of a team over the next two years, but one school board member said it’s likely she’ll skip an introductory retreat.

And that could mean that the school district would have to pay double.

“I’ve shared with Dr. (Demetrus) Liggins that I don’t think this is a good use of my time,” board member Amanda Ferguson said at a July 13 school board planning meeting. “To call this a team of six training to me is just laughable when, I mean, I have no relationship with the superintendent.”

Ferguson added: “I have no relationship with any board members. No one speaks to me. No one wants to speak to me. I think it’s a waste of the district’s money at this point, and we’re anything but a team of six. And when you can’t even speak to me as a human being, I don’t know how we’re going to work together as a team of six. So, I wouldn’t worry about trying to schedule something around me.“

Ferguson did say during the meeting that she would talk with A.J. Crabill, the director of governance at the Council of the Great City Schools, who would carry out the training.

Ferguson had earlier voted to enter into the contract with the Council.

The Council represents the country’s largest urban public school systems. Crabill. who spoke at the board’s latest meeting, had previously talked to Ferguson and other board members.

She said she previously thought the professional learning provided by Crabill would be helpful for the board.

“But there’s been turnover (on the board) and there’s just been a lot of change. I’ve been expressing my, my views and my concerns for almost two years now,” she said at the July 14 meeting.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have much hope that anything is going to change, when my fellow board members can censure me for what I consider a foolish reason and not even address it, address me as a human being about it, before taking a vote. I just don’t have much hope of being treated with respect.”

Ferguson has previously been at odds with the superintendent and other board members:

▪ Last year, in a rare action, the Fayette school board censured Ferguson for social media posts that they said were “imprudent” and “inappropriate.” A censure is a formal statement of disapproval that addresses conduct the board may determine is inappropriate, detrimental to the board, or contrary to a board member’s position. A censure does not remove a board member from office, carry any financial penalty, or deny rights or privileges, board chairman Tyler Murphy previously said.

At issue were a laughing emoji and a GIF depicting a Furby interactive toy that Ferguson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. She did not post any words. Ferguson formerly represented the school board on the district’s equity council committee. That committee had criticized the social media content as promoting hate “against the LGBTQ community.’’

▪ In March, Liggins told Ferguson that he thought she had inappropriately shared a document with someone outside the board and he reacted strongly.

“ Any document requests you make outside of what I am already planning to share with the full board will require submission through the Open Records process. This approach will reinforce a fair process and ensure that all community members have equal access to information,” he told her.

Ferguson did not respond to questions from the Herald-Leader in texts, emails and phone messages as late as Sunday night about her not participating in the training.

On Friday, district spokesperson Miranda Scully explained what could happen if Ferguson doesn’t participate.

As part of the district’s commitment to continuous improvement and the Board of Education’s commitment to effective governance, the Fayette County Board of Education and Superintendent Liggins unanimously agreed to participate in the Council’s nationally recognized board governance training series, Scully said.

She said the two-year professional learning experience shifts the focus of board discussions and actions toward academic results for students, rather than matters unrelated to student success.

The training is designed to help teams clarify roles and responsibilities between the board and superintendent, build trust within the team, and adopt a data-driven approach to monitoring progress. The goal is to focus on measurable outcomes rather than opinions, feelings or external pressures.

It also ensures board policies and practices remain aligned with the district’s strategic goals and the needs of all students, Scully said.

The initial two-day training session is scheduled for July 31 and Aug. 1, which all five board members and the superintendent previously committed to participating, Scully said.

If all five elected board members and the superintendent participate in the full training series, the cost to the district is $45,000 per year over two years, for a total investment of $90,000.

If the entire group does not participate, the cost increases to $100,000 per year, totaling $200,000.

“To our understanding, the discounted rate is intended to incentivize full participation, as the greatest impact is achieved when the entire governance team engages in this shared learning experience with a unified focus on improving student outcomes,” Scully said.

Board member Amy Green said at the meeting, “It really gives a focus to our work, and our sole purpose is to improve student outcomes. It’s important to model our commitment and to learn side by side. We can really sit down to talk about our hearts and the heart of our team.”