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Jones named principal of Mary Todd Elementary School

11 August 2020

Michael Jones Picture Fayette County Public Schools has announced that Michael Jones (94, 05) has been named principal at Mary Todd Elementary School in Lexington.

The Louisville native and first-generation college student initially came to Morehead State University for the affordability and credits the late Jerry Gore (70) for encouraging him to attend MSU through a mutual connection. Jones graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Science Education with an emphasis in Biology in 1994 before returning to MSU to earn a master’s degree in secondary school counseling in 2005. He also earned a principal certification from Western Kentucky University. His daughter, Aiyanna Jones, is currently a student at MSU.

“I feel as though I had some really great professors while at MSU,” Jones said. “They grounded me in my discipline and gave me a great foundation for my career.”

Jones started as a counselor at Hope Hill and then spent the next 26 years working in education. He taught in several different school systems throughout Kentucky, beginning at Fleming County High School, where he coached and taught biology for 10 years. Jones relocated to Winchester and taught at George Rogers Clark High School for five years before returning to his hometown of Louisville to teach for a year at Western High School. Jones started teaching for Fayette County Public Schools in 2011, teaching science at Southern Middle School and The Learning Center, where he later held a position as a behavior interventionist. He has also served as the academic coordinator for Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s Upward Bound Program since 2018 and came to Mary Todd Elementary last fall to serve as the school’s professional growth and effectiveness coach before being named principal.

“My priorities are to continue the positive momentum we have generated with our students and families and to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education,” Jones said.

For the next five years, MSU will be discounting graduate tuition on all 600-level courses within the Volgenau College of Education. For more details on the reduced tuition, as well as information on graduate and certification programs offered by the Volgenau College of Education, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/kyeducators.

To learn more about MSU’s Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education and its programs, call 606-783-2162 or visit www.moreheadstate.edu/education.