Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Michael Allen (Mike) Armstrong will become KSBA’s executive director July 1, after being selected unanimously last month by the association’s board of directors.
Armstrong said he feels all of his career work to this point will aid him in the responsibilities of leading a statewide service and advocacy organization.
“This is a special opportunity for me because KSBA is so well respected for its high-quality services and the team of outstanding professionals who are available round the clock, not just to school board members and superintendents, but also to other district leaders and education partners in other organizations,” he said. “I’ve been given many chances over the years to work for student success, and I think being part of the KSBA team will just allow me to continue what I’ve been doing in the Lawrence County Schools on a statewide level.”
Armstrong, 59, of Louisa, is in his fifth year as superintendent. He began his education career in 1978 as a special education teacher at Lawrence County High School and has worked in the district as middle school principal and director of special education and preschool programs.
For a decade, he managed state programs for special needs children in the Kentucky Department of Education (1996-2002) and Ohio Department of Education (2002-2006). He also spent a year as a consultant to the Supreme Education Council in the Arab emirate of Qatar.
KSBA President Durward Narramore of the Jenkins Independent school board said Armstrong’s wide range of experience over a 37-year career and his passion for teaching and learning sold the association’s 27-member board.
“He also brings to our management team the background of an elected official (former city councilman and mayor of Louisa) and leadership roles in such organizations as the Lawrence County Education Association, Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education.”
A native of Marietta, Ohio, Armstrong has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from the University of Kentucky, and is on track to receive his doctorate in educational administration from Morehead State University in 2015.
Armstrong, who received a four-year contract, becomes the first superintendent to lead KSBA, although Interim Executive Director David Baird also is a former superintendent. Baird will resume his duties as associate executive director after the transition.