Ivy Tech hires Louisville superintendent as its new president
Marty Pollio, set to retire as the superintendent of Louisville-based Jefferson County Public Schools, will start his role as president of Indiana's statewide Ivy Tech system July 1. He replaces Sue Ellspermann, Ivy Tech's ninth president and a former lieutenant governor, who is retiring at the end of June.
Pollio's appointment and three-year contract was approved by the college's board Wednesday afternoon.
"I'm excited to get into postsecondary," Pollio, who has worked for JCPS for 30 years, told Louisville's Courier Journal. "I've done a lot of work on workforce development — between being a principal and doing this — so I think it's a good next step for me."
Ivy Tech has 45 locations across Indiana, with its central office located in Indianapolis. The school, which grants associate degrees, collectively has more than 175,000 students — a good chunk of whom are high school students enrolled in dual credit courses.
Pollio said his goal will be to continue to grow the college's dual credit program and to "really align the work being done at Ivy Tech with the workforce in Indiana and even Kentucky."
In order to do that, Pollio pointed to JCPS' Academies of Louisville program, indicating he'd like to take that model into K-12 schools across Indiana.
JCPS launched the model in 2017. The wide-range of academy programs gives high school students career-themed lessons and, in some cases, allows them to earn industry certifications before graduation.
This could be helpful to Ivy Tech's goal of combatting the state's workforce shortage in response to a recent report from the college that noted Indiana's decline in skilled talent, particularly in the advanced manufacturing, transportation and logistics, health care, and technology fields.
Pollio announced he'd be retiring from JCPS in September. Having spent the last seven years as superintendent, he is one of the longest-tenured superintendents of any large urban district in the country, according to the Council for Great City Schools.
When he received a call about Ivy Tech, he said he wasn't sure about going into postsecondary education, but "the more I started looking at the opportunity and the impact that I can have on both kids and adults alike, it really piqued my interest."
Other aspects of Pollio's lasting impact on JCPS include the district's new strategic plan, coined "Future State."
That plan included expanding school choice for families through the district's new student assignment plan — though JCPS' decision to end magnet transportation for most students has drawn criticism among those who previously supported the new assignment plan.
Under Pollio's leadership, the district has also launched numerous large capital improvement projects, increased access to technology, increased funding for some schools serving high-needs populations, created an internal police department, and aligned reading and math curriculums across all K-8 schools.
"As a superintendent, it would have been easier to keep the status quo. Change is very hard," Pollio wrote in his retirement announcement. "But I am extremely proud that we made the decision to make the most substantial changes in the history of JCPS despite many challenges. I truly believe that these changes will result in decades of improved outcomes for our students."
The district is still looking for a replacement for Pollio. Last week, six candidates were identified as finalists from a pool of 34 applicants.
Krista Johnson covers education and children for The Courier Journal. Have story ideas or questions? Contact her at kjohnson3@gannett.com and subscribe to her newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ivy Tech's new president: Marty Pollio, Louisville superintendent
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