Duvall reflects on first year as OPS superintendent

When Dr. Wendy Duvall was named superintendent of Owensboro Public Schools last spring, she was excited about the opportunity to learn all she could about the school district.
But Duvall felt her first priority had to be learning about the culture of the city of Owensboro.
'Anyone new to the city needs to find out what Owensboro is about before you can lead,' she said. 'There is so much here that is offered, not only to students in the school district, but to our families, and that makes it a place people want to come and live. My mission was to meet as many of the (community) leaders in the district as possible, from the sheriff to the mayor to the chamber president to the police chief.
'Owensboro is just fabulous. Not only the district, but the city, the people who live here. Everyone has been so welcoming.'
Duvall said her priority with the school district was that the team worked on the true mission of OPS, which is tradition, excellence and innovation.
'It's all about kids and what we offer them,' said Duvall, who noted several achievements for the district. 'Overall, with ACT telling us that our high school is one of 26 schools in the nation that was ranked a school of excellence, making sure we are offering first-generation, really supporting them going to college. And being a recipient of the community grants with Foust and (Owensboro Middle School). The opportunities that we've been able to work with community members there is amazing.
'I'm just amazed from working in previous districts what we can offer kids here. Not only does OPS foster growth in academics, but we also foster growth in kids' passions.'
Duvall said the first thing she pushed academically in the district was making sure science is taught in kindergarten through fifth grade.
'By doing that, the supports are there leading to high school, so that our pathways that lead into the science fields of engineering, health science, bio-med, all of those have the foundation they need,' Duvall said. 'That has been wonderful. I also started walkthroughs in three reading — or English if at the high school — math and science classes, and those have gone well, giving feedback to the schools. I am excited about that.'
Duvall said she reviewed the district's five-year strategic plan that was adopted in 2022, and 'we have been meeting a lot of those things that were established,' including having a one-system communication platform — TalkingPoints.
'Any messages that we have to send out, parents receive an email and a text,' she said.
Duvall said she's thankful for having two mentors as a new superintendent — Dr. Fred Carter, director of the Kentucky Association of School Administrators, and Amy Smith, superintendent of Hopkins County Schools.
'They have given me wonderful recommendations, as far as reflecting on what they see that I've done,' she said, 'and they're very pleased.'
Duvall said she has also built a good relationship with Charlies Broughton, first-year superintendent of Daviess County Public Schools.
'I want to continue to establish cooperation between Charlie and myself, with both of us being new superintendents,' she said. 'I think that is important. Even though we are two separate school districts, we are still in one land district, and our kids are kids. We have a great cooperation with Charlie and their board.'
OPS is not expecting much turnover in staff before next school year. Duvall has only had to hire one new principal for next year.
'I have a very stable leadership (team),' she said. 'Building stability from the top down is huge.'
While it doesn't appear to be a significant issue for OPS this summer, Duvall said looking ahead, finding teachers will be one of the bigger challenges OPS — and most school districts — will face.
'I think the biggest challenge is making sure that we still stay competitive for teachers wanting to come here, as far as continuing to offer what we have,' she said. 'We do have a lot. We have a dynamic salary. The biggest challenge is working with our colleges to get qualified teachers. We're pretty good in the teachers that we have, but it's across the commonwealth that you do not have the big pool of young people going into education like we've had before.
'We look for new ways to bring in people who teaching is a second career. But other than that, I don't know that OPS has any other challenges that any other district wouldn't have.'
While Duvall said her first year has been marked by several highlights, it's not surprising, given OPS' stature for offering the best in fine arts programs, that she said the OPS Fine Arts Festival 'absolutely wowed me.'
'The things from orchestra to dance; we have music and art for kids from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade, and that's what Owensboro is known for,' Duvall said. 'The engineering program we have here is also amazing. To have two engineers teaching engineering is huge for our kids, because that pathway becomes really real world, hands on.
'And the collaboration with community partners. It's truly a community district, a community city. We're all in it for the kids and all in it for each other.'

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