Will Yager has spent most of his life in Carroll County Schools, first as a student, then as a teacher, coach and administrator. Now, the 2010 Carroll County High School graduate is preparing to take on a new role as the district's assistant superintendent.
Yager said the opportunity comes at an exciting time for Carroll County Schools, particularly as the district builds on a growing sense of unity and positive momentum under Superintendent Dr. Robin Stephenson.
“I’m excited that Dr. Stephenson is in her role as superintendent. We worked closely together at the middle school the last few years and the vision she has for the district is exciting,” Yager said. “I believe there’s a lot of positive momentum in the district and in the community. I think that can be felt over the last several months and it's continuing to increase.”
Yager hopes to contribute to that progress by strengthening relationships, supporting employees and helping bring the district's schools closer together.
Stephenson said she is excited to welcome Yager to the district's leadership team.
“Having worked alongside Will at Carroll County Middle School, I have seen firsthand his commitment to students and his relationships with staff. I know Will’s heart for Carroll County and his commitment to making our schools the very best they can be will serve our students, staff, and families well.”
“I see our schools in a place where we’re really working on coming together as one school system. Something I heard recently that stuck with me is that you want to really work on developing a school system and not a system of schools,” Yager said.
His commitment to Carroll County Schools is both professional and personal. Yager has spent nearly his entire career in the district, and his family's ties to local education stretch back decades. His father, Carroll Yager, is a retired Carroll County Schools superintendent, and growing up around education helped shape his own career aspirations.
“Education was always where I saw myself landing and I think my family thought the same thing,” Yager said. “Growing up and watching my dad be a school administrator and coach and having conversations with him about school was something I really enjoyed. I’ve always loved being at school.”
Those connections continue through his own family. Yager and his wife, Kyndal, also a CCHS graduate, have three young children. Kyndal serves as a guidance counselor at Carroll County Middle School, where Yager is currently in his fifth year as assistant principal.
Being part of the community both inside and outside the classroom is something Yager particularly values.
“I really get a lot of enjoyment in just going places in the community and seeing people I know and recognize, whether it’s kids yelling hey Mr. Yager or people I went to school with or families I know from my kids being in school now,” he said. “Having that connection is really special as well and brings the whole picture together.”
Those relationships have also shaped his approach to leadership. Yager believes listening, maintaining composure and taking time to understand others are essential to building trust. His familiarity with students and families often provides a foundation for conversations, even when difficult situations arise.
Although he has long been interested in school administration, Yager said his decision to pursue district-level leadership came somewhat unexpectedly.
Last spring, while walking the halls of CCMS during Kentucky Summative Assessment testing, he found himself thinking about enrolling in a superintendent certification program. “I was walking through the halls during KSA testing doing what I needed to do to help supervise and monitor and something just spoke to me and said, why don’t you look at getting into that program,” he recalled.
A spiritual person, Yager believes certain moments in life happen for a reason. Looking back, he considers that decision to pursue his certification one of those moments.
When Stephenson was named superintendent, Yager saw an opportunity to take on a broader leadership role in the district he has called home for so long.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to increase the impact I had in the district. I feel like I’ve grown a lot in this role and developed a lot of different skills and I felt like it was a good time,” he said.
As he prepares to transition into his new position, likely after Thanksgiving break, Yager acknowledges that leaving CCMS will be bittersweet. The daily interactions with students and staff are among the things he enjoys most about his job, and he knows those relationships will look different in a district-level position.
Still, he looks forward to building new relationships throughout Carroll County Schools and working alongside Stephenson and other school leaders to continue the positive momentum he sees developing across the district.