Brian Alexander, the new superintendent for Edmonson County schools, started out his teaching career as a business teacher at Warren Central High School (Warren County). He has spent much of his educational career in Edmonson County, serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and director of pupil personnel.
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Editor’s Note: This is the sixth of a series of stories Kentucky Teacher is running about new superintendents for the 2020-2021 school year.
By Sky Carroll
sky.carroll@education.ky.gov
As a child, Brian Alexander loved going to school. He loved learning, had good relationships with his teachers, and he enjoyed the culture and atmosphere of his schools. Now, as the new superintendent for Edmonson County Schools, he hopes to create similar positive experiences for students there.
“I wanted to return to that environment,” Alexander said. “That type of culture seemed to suit me and I looked forward to returning to that.”
Always fond of the classroom, Alexander got his own in 1995. After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business education from Western Kentucky University (WKU), he became a business teacher at Warren Central High School (Warren County).
“I have such positive memories of my time in school, and I’ve tried to recreate that for my classes and students,” he said.
Alexander also received his principal and director of pupil personnel certifications from WKU. He earned his superintendent certification from the University of Kentucky.
After teaching business at Edmonson County High School, Alexander became an assistant principal there in 2000. In 2003, he became principal of Caneyville Elementary School in Grayson County.
Then, from 2005 to 2014, he returned to Edmonson County, serving as the principal of Edmonson County High and later working as director of pupil personnel for the district.
This past school year, he found himself as principal at Edmonson County High once again before landing as superintendent of the county.
Alexander takes great pride in Edmonson County, especially in the relationship between the schools and the community. He hopes to continue building a supportive culture that truly cares for students.
In his spare time, Alexander can be found tending to his farm, where he raises cattle and quarter horses. His wife, Lori, is a professor of nursing at WKU, and the two have four children, ranging from 14 to 26 years old.
“I value spending time with my family. My kids keep me pretty busy because they’re involved in lots of sports and activities in the district,” Alexander said. “I want to support them as much as possible, so I spend a lot of time with them.”
Edmonson County will return to school on Sept. 8, with some students attending on Mondays and Wednesdays and the others attending on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When they’re not learning in person, students will learn virtually. Virtual learning also will be available to any students who aren’t comfortable returning to school.
“My main focus is safety and health,” Alexander said. “I want students to enjoy going to school and I want parents to have confidence in our district that we’re doing the absolute best for their kids from a safety ad health as well as an educational standpoint every day.”
Although the circumstances are different, he still hopes to create positive experiences for students.
“I want this to be an experience where we learn to work together, learn resilience and persevere through a difficult situation and come out as better people on the other side,” he said.
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