Episode
A Conversation with Dr. Randy Poe, Executive Director of the Northern Kentucky Education Council
- Published
- Aug 12, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2656
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Summary
Executive Summary In this episode of Leaders Learning from Leaders, host Steve Barkley speaks with Dr. Randy Poe, Executive Director of the Northern Kentucky Education Council, former superintendent of Boone County Schools in Kentucky, and an at-large member of the Kentucky Board of Education. Drawing on nearly four decades in Boone County, Dr. Poe reflects on the strategic alignment, community trust, and continuous learning that carried one of Kentucky's most recognized school districts through extraordinary growth. Dr. Poe describes Boone County's transformation from a small rural district of roughly 3,000 students into a diverse system of 21,000, once among the fastest growing districts in the nation. That growth demanded a united strategic direction. Adopting the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) framework from Harvard, the district aligned vision, resources, and daily practices around the instructional core: the student, the teacher, and the curriculum, animated by rigor, relevance, and relationships. Rather than chasing test scores, the district measured student hope, well-being, and grit and found that growth there corresponded directly with academic gains. Working with Ken Kay of the 21st Century Skills movement, Boone County became one of the first districts in the nation to develop a portrait of a graduate, expanding the four C's into a broader set of essential skills. More than 2,000 teachers were trained in project-based learning, with students defining their own projects. Dual credit partnerships allowed students to accelerate based on academic performance rather than chronological age, and a student board member, elected by students across the district, brought student voice to every board decision. Steve and Dr. Poe explore how leaders innovate…