MOUNT STERLING, Ky. (AP) - Former Montgomery County Superintendent Joshua Powell said he will appeal a decision to revoke his superintendent and principal certificates.
Powell was quoted by the Lexington Herald-Leader (https://bit.ly/1NiAEJO ) as saying in an email Friday that he did not violate any laws.
“It is important to note that I adhered to every law and regulation and did so in an obsessive manner,” Powell wrote. “I have worked very hard and have committed a large portion of my life to improving public education in Kentucky.”
The Education Professional Standards Board revoked the certificates amid accusations of unlawful and unethical practices involving Powell’s handling of some employees. The revocation is in effect until 2020.
Powell said he didn’t think his certificates should be eligible for revocation until after his appeal, which under state law is heard by a circuit court.
The board’s April 14 decision upheld findings from a February order that said Powell “drove many good educators out of the district and crushed the careers of others” and “ignored good process and policy and school law.”
Powell said the findings were “based entirely on hearsay from disgruntled employees.”
The order said Powell could keep any other certificates he had, including one as a supervisor of instruction.
The Herald-Leader previously reported the county school board suspended Powell with pay in 2015, and decided not to renew his contract. Powell had been hired in 2011 to turn around academic performance in the county.
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Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, https://www.kentucky.com
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