Mark Sellers
OFFICE HELD
Past President
CONTACT INFORMATION:
MLK Academy
2200 Liberty Road
Lexington, KY 40509
859-381-4040
859-381-4031 FAX
mark.sellers@fayette.kyschools.us
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Mark is passionate about working with At Risk Youth. He began his career working with At Risk students in Jefferson County Public School System in 1991. For the last 10 years, Mark has been the Principal of Martin Luther King (MLK) Academy of Excellency, an alternative program of Fayette County Public Schools. During his time at MLK, he has put into practice many successful programs to reduce Truancy and Dropouts including: starting a Night School Credit Recovery Program, initiating the use of the Web-based Plato Program at MLK, development of district-wide E-School, creation of a Middle School Transition Program and currently he is spearheading the implementation of the POSSE Program, which is a partnership between the US Department of Justice and FCPS designed to reduce bullying, gang activity, and to promote peer mediation within the confines of the school day. The goal of POSSE is to reduce the recidivism rate of behaviours and incidents and thus spend more time on academics, which increases student achievement. In addition, he has initiated partnerships with the US District Attorney’s office to develop training materials to educate school staff on signs and symbols of gang activity. While focusing on gang prevention at MLK, he created an-after school program called the Educational Safe House, which provides at-risk students a safe, drug free, place to spend time in the crucial after-school hour. This program has created high performance community partnerships with organizations like the University of Kentucky, Asbury University, the Police Activities League, and several community faith based organizations. Recently, the Educational Safe House Program received a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant from the US Department of Education to improve and expand its efforts. These days, he is bringing community and governmental stakeholders together to develop an alternative to suspension program to serve students district-wide.
In addition to the community involvement, as an administrator of a school Mr. Sellers provides alternative programming for middle and high school students whose conduct and lack of academic success prevents them from succeeding in their regular schools. His program has been nationally recognized by the IATDP as "The Program of the Year" in 2004, and he personally was recognized as "The At Risk Educator of the Year" in 2005. He contributes this success to his ability to provide a highly structured program that balances behaviour modification with high academic standards. By providing a school environment that focuses its efforts on improving behaviour and attendance of students, this improves students’ academic success and prepares them for life outside of the classroom. Most importantly, he believes that high performance collaboration with outside agencies such as the United States Attorney’s Office (Eastern District of Kentucky), ATF, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Division of Police, District Court Juvenile Judges, Division of Juvenile Justice, Division of Youth Services, the Community Mental Health Center, and Cabinet for Families and Children are the key to providing true wraparound or one stop shop services for these students.
In addition, he is regularly planning and implementing staff professional development that is designed to enhance the implementation of best practices, curriculum alignment with the program of studies, response to intervention and behaviour management strategies.
Mr. Sellers has been recognized for outstanding achievement by The National Dropout Prevention Network, Crystal Star Program Award, 2006 and was the Kentucky Association of School Administrators, Administrator of the Year Award in 2005.
In his free time, he enjoys giving keynote addresses about successful programming for At- Risk Students. He also enjoys snowboarding with his lovely wife of 16 years, and their two boys. He releases stress by riding dirt bikes and coaching Little League Football.
