Letcher County Superintendent Josh Yonts poses in front of a sign with the district motto “RISE” at Letcher County Central High School on opening day this school year. Photo courtesy Josh Yonts
Josh Yonts, the new superintendent of Letcher County, is focusing on improving the district’s elementary math scores through Numeracy Counts resources while also increasing dual credit opportunities for high school students.
The Kentucky Numeracy Counts Act establishes that mathematics proficiency is essential for all Kentucky students to achieve the goals outlined in KRS 158.6451. It states that every elementary school must provide comprehensive reading and mathematics instruction aligned to reading, writing and mathematics standards, and must provide a multi-tiered system of supports to support and engage all students in learning to apply mathematical content and practices.
Yonts said teachers in the district have been involved with state-wide initiatives and groups based on improving elementary math scores, including the Partnership Institute for Math and Science Education Reform (PIMSER).
“Numeracy Counts in our K-5, we’ve really bought into that, and all of our schools are involved in it,” Yonts said. “All of our teachers are involved in it and we’ve been working with PIMSER, they’re doing instructional walk-throughs in our math classrooms. We’ve developed instructional walk-through forms designed specifically for math and Numeracy Counts. So, we really want to get a big bang for our buck with that, and I think that’s going to pay off for our students.”
Yonts said the district is also focused on creating more dual credit opportunities for high school students. He said the district recently added the University of Pikeville to its dual credit list. Students at Letcher County Central High School now can get dual credit hours through the University of Pikeville, Eastern Kentucky University and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College.
“We’re really hitting that really hard for dual credits and trying to provide it tuition-free for our students if possible, and we’re working with our education foundation for a grant to do that,” Yonts said.
Yonts is a native of Letcher County and grew up in the county’s school system, graduating in 1996 from Fleming-Neon High School, which is now closed.
He attended the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, where he got a bachelor’s degree in history and math with a middle school teaching endorsement. He got a master’s degree in school administration from Union College and a superintendent certification from the University of the Cumberlands.
He said he wanted to teach in Letcher County because it’s home to him and it’s where his family has spent generations helping students.
“I have a lot of connections to education in Letcher County and to Letcher County Schools,” Yonts said. “My aunt and uncle were both teachers, my great uncle was a principal, and my grandmother was a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse years ago. So, I’ve got a lot of that in my family and I just kind of wanted to carry on the tradition and I always felt very passionate about it; about our kids here in our community. I want to provide them with the opportunities that larger areas across the state have.”
He started working at Letcher County in 2001 as a middle school math teacher and basketball coach. He then became principal at Martha Jane Potter Elementary School. He later moved to the district office to be federal programs director, finance officer, assistant superintendent and now superintendent.
Yonts said he wants the district’s educational experience to be top-notch, and that starts with improving instruction in all areas.
“If you build a good foundation, it’s going to be a strong home, and that’s what we want here,” he said. “I think instruction is going to be the basis of it; we want a good athletic program, we want good extracurricular opportunities, and when I leave Letcher County, I want to feel like I left it in a better shape than when I found it.”
He said the district is also focusing more on building a system centered around local indicators of quality, collaborating with community members to create an accountability system framework for students. Yonts said last year, the district hosted community meetings where they heard feedback on their education system, and he looks forward to continuing that work this year.
Yonts sat in on some defense of learning sample sessions with district seniors last year. Defenses of learning are student showcases where learners present their work and understanding of key competencies in front of an audience. Yonts said it showed him the impact that a portrait of a learner can have on students.
“Seeing these kids, showing them what they did, defending it and saying, ‘Here’s what I was able to accomplish through these co-op programs;’ going out and working and seeing things that they normally wouldn’t have had a chance to do, it was pretty powerful for me,” Yonts said.
Yonts said he is blessed to serve in his position and looks forward to continuing to do his best for students.
“In 2001, when I started teaching, I never dreamed that I would be the superintendent someday, so you never know which way or which path God leads you on,” he said. “But I’m very blessed and honored to be here and thankful for the opportunity. I just want our community and our area to know that I’ll work hard for them.”
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