Each conversation Clay King has with his students is special and intentional.
He said it was conversations he had with his educators when he was a student that created who he is today.
“If you say the right thing to the right kid, it might not be that big of a deal to you as an educator, but it might be the push that kid needs to look at themselves differently,” King said.
King was recently named superintendent of Bracken County Schools after holding various positions in the classroom and in administration with the district since 1999.
He started his career in Bracken County as a high school math teacher and bus driver for the first 10 years.
“In the early years, I drove a bus, and even the year before I got a full-time job while I was in college, I would substitute as a teacher on my days off,” he said. “I had planned on teaching math for my entire career.”
Transitioning from the classroom, King served as the high school’s assistant principal for six years and then in 2015, he became the Bracken County Middle School principal.
“I worked on my master’s in school leadership and that kind of piqued my interest a bit and that is when I took the assistant principal position,” said King.
Bracken County Schools has always been King’s home. In addition to his career, King graduated from Bracken County in 1991. Remembering what it was like to be a student, he hopes to continue to shine his love and spirit for the school in this new position.
“I want the students to have the same sense of pride in this school that I have and to appreciate just that side of things,” he said. “But as educators, we know that it’s important to build off of our current successes and we’ve got to improve on our student achievement.”
King said with an obligation to educate students, he looks forward to sharing traditions with his students while also making sure the students in Bracken County are ready for the next level and are both college- and career-ready.
“I want to look at the different data sets and take a deeper look at what the numbers are saying and figure out what we can do to improve in all areas,” King said. “Not only making Bracken County just a great place for students but a great place for them to get the preparation they need for that next level.”
Preparing students and showing them their full potential is a top priority for King. As the first person in his family to go to college and graduate with a degree, he said he never thought college would be in his future.
“I had people take an interest in me and notice potential in me early on that I didn’t notice in myself and now that I am an adult, I can look back and appreciate those moments and see them as key moments in shaping my future,” he said.
With his new responsibilities and obligations, King said he is excited to continue making an impact on students, staff and the community and he’s grateful to continue his career in a place he calls home.
“I have a lot of pride in my school and community, Bracken County is a great place and it has a great community,” King said. “I just want to make sure we continue to build off of that and continue to provide opportunities for our students.”