Fayette County Schools Superintendent Manny Caulk took temporary medical leave on Nov. 30 to “focus on his health.” He died suddenly Friday at age 49.
No cause of death has been given, but in 2015 he had surgery on a tumor in his sinus cavity shortly after he took the helm of the state’s second-largest school system. He said then that he was cancer free.
The chair of the board of education made the shocking announcement of his death in a letter sent to parents this weekend:
“Tonight, I write with a heavy heart to inform you of the death of our Superintendent, Emmanuel Caulk, who has led our district since 2015,” wrote Fayette County Board of Education Chair Stephanie Spires in a letter to families. “We are grateful for Manny’s servant leadership and passion for our two moral imperatives – to accelerate achievement for students who have not yet reached proficiency and to challenge students already proficient to achieve global competency,” wrote Spires.
“We ask that you keep Manny, his family, and everyone who loved him in your thoughts and prayers, while also respecting their privacy during this incredibly difficult time. Arrangements to honor his life and work are incomplete at this time but will be sent out to our FCPS Family when finalized.”
Dr. Marlene Helm is serving as acting superintendent. Spires says current and incoming members of the board of education will work together to ensure a smooth transition. She said they will begin the arduous task of finding a new superintendent in January.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton released a statement, saying she would always remember Caulk for his devotion to Fayette County’s children.
“He put their safety first, working as part of our stakeholder group to combat the pandemic,” Gorton said. “Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.”
Governor Andy Beshear called him a “tireless advocate for education and helping our children reach their full potential.” The Governor sent his condolences to Caulk’s family.
University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said, “Manny Caulk cared deeply about children and their families and a more just and equitable education for everyone in our community. The best way to honor him is by continuing his commitment to all children through the life-changing power of education.”
A champion for children committed to helping every student reach his or her unlimited potential, Caulk had a track record of success in urban school districts that spans two decades. With teaching and leadership experience at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in some of the nation’s largest and most impoverished school districts, Caulk has consistently advanced policies and procedures based on research and best practices to create systems of high expectations and accountability, organizational and governance structures, and metrics to define results.
In his first year in Lexington, Caulk launched an entry plan that included five external audits, site visits to every school and program, and listening sessions and surveys that drew input from more than 12,750 students, staff, families, and community partners. His resulting “Blueprint for Student Success: Achieving Educational Excellence and Equity for All,” outlined 100 specific strategies in eight pillars of focus that were completed during the 2016-17 school year. The community was able to track progress and hold leaders accountable through a first-of-its-kind online monitoring tool. Under Caulk’s leadership, the district developed its first strategic plan in a decade, worked in partnership with local business leaders to redesign its high schools through the Ford Next Generation initiative, launched an intentional volunteer campaign called “Give 10,” placed education in the center of community discourse through his Superintendent’s Book Club, and was the first school district in Kentucky to establish a grant-funded Office for Educating Boys of Color with an intentional focus on meeting the needs of primarily black and Hispanic male students.
In March 2017, the Kentucky Department of Education conducted its fourth and most exhaustive audit of the district in as many years, including 8,691 surveys, 180 classroom observations, site visits to 12 schools in the district, interviews with nearly 200 students, teachers, principals, district administrators, school board members, parents and community members, and the review of more than 1,200 pieces of evidence. After the review, KDE issued its report concluding that Caulk “has brought stability to the district,” highlighting dozens of accomplishments from the Blueprint for Student Success and affirming that the district has “capacity” to lead future improvements. In fall 2018, the Kentucky Association for School Administrators named him 2019 Superintendent of the Year.
Before joining FCPS, Caulk had served as superintendent of Portland Public Schools, Maine’s largest school district, since 2012. He previously was an assistant superintendent in the School District of Philadelphia, serving 167,000 students. He also was assistant regional superintendent and deputy chief for the office of instruction and leadership support, and was assistant superintendent for high schools of the 46,000-student East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Caulk’s experience in education includes time spent as a special education teacher in a juvenile detention facility, an elementary principal, and a high school principal. He also practiced law, serving as an education law attorney and former assistant prosecutor for the state of New Jersey. Caulk earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Delaware and a law degree from Widener University School of Law and was completing his doctoral degree in education.
Arrangements are pending.
(Information compiled from Fayette County Schools and staff reports)