The beginning of another new school year in Clinton County is now just four weeks away, and as in most years, students and staff will see some changes and new faces when the school doors open.
Among the most noticeable changes will be that of a new Clinton County High School Principal, Chris Whitlock, who was most recently Assistant Intermediate Principal in Green County.
The new principal was hired last month by the CCHS Site Based Council, being one of several candidates for the position and one of five interviewed for the job.
The Ashland, Kentucky, native brings some three decades of educational experience to the table. Ashland (23 years) is where he spent the majority of his educational career, but Whitlock has worked in five different school districts across the state.
He has worked in Shelby County, Fairview Independent, Ashland Independent, Russell County, and Green County.
He said the reason for each move was to be able to further his career, either with teaching or coaching.
Whitlock has taught 7th grade math/science all the way through to AP Physics. He has also coached golf, baseball, archery, and football, but with the majority of his coaching career being in basketball.
He attended Morehead State University, graduating with a degree in Mathematics and Physics while being certified in education in 1995. He finished his Master’s of School Administration with Morehead State in 2003.
The incoming principal said the main reason he decided to apply for the opening here in Clinton County was the opportunity to work with Mr. Ackerman (Clinton County Schools Superintendent).
“His (Ackerman’s) reputation of being a servant leader drew me wanting to be part of Clinton’s administration,” Whitlock said.
“I worked within this style of leadership while at Green County, so I appreciate and admire his particular modality,” he said.
Whitlock continued that the administration providing for the needs of staff and students as priority one made it more appealing. He said he attended a “single A” school, with less than 500 students while growing up.
“We are a family, and still to this day I speak with former teachers and classmates from over 35-40 years ago. The family atmosphere, a sense of belonging, was another enticing quality that made me want to become a Bulldog,” said Whitlock.
“I have been in education for 30 years, 29 years spent in the classroom, with the majority at the high school level,” he said. “I am not far removed from the classroom, so I understand what teachers are dealing with today.”
Whitlock said he has been blessed to be affiliated with very successful leaders within his coaching and teaching positions.
“I’m driven to learn and be present everyday for the staff and students. I am continuously asking ‘Why?’ Open, direct, respectful communication is the basis of my personal life,” he said, adding, “I plan on bringing that into this position to help further the positive school environment that presently exists.”
Principal Whitlock said the mission of CCHS is to help develop life-long learners. “My goal is to have everyone involved in this process,” he said.
“I want the community, central office, CCMS, AES…everyone to be involved with our students to demonstrate and guide them into what our community, but more importantly the student needs for them to be successful in their own life,” he said.
“I had the most incredible upbringing. My parents, teachers, coaches, mamaw, papaw…everyone was involved in how I love to learn today,” he said.
He said he wanted CCHS to be that central location in Albany for students to be cared for and encouraged to grow and develop into what they need to become a successful member of society.
“Can they take care of themselves? That is the question guiding me. Are kids taught how to take care of themselves? This is how I tried to parent my children,” he noted.
The vision established at CCHS (and the school district) is “Expect Excellence Every Day.” Whitlock said this statement is his main expectation.
“Everyday I want our staff and students to pursue excellence. It will vary from day to day, but the pursuit of excellence will help drive us,” he said, adding “I want them to teach and learn without fear of failure. Failure isn’t an ending point.”
“I want them to see their failures as points to learn and grow. I want the staff to take chances in their teaching, and self-reflect on what went well and what didn’t,” he said.
“As for the students, do the same thing. I want them to challenge themselves with their classes, their learning. I want them to take a leap of faith without the anxiety of ‘what if…’”, he added.
Whitlock and his wife, Rhea, are the parents of three children, Katie Creech, 25, a Radiographic Technologist at Baptist Health Hardin in Elizabethtown; Chloe Whitlock, 25, Youngstown State University Women’s Basketball Director of Creative Content and Event Planning; and, Max Whitlock, 20, BSN student at Eastern Kentucky University.
The new principal at CCHS plans to commute from home to work from one bordering county away.
Whitlock said he doesn’t plan on moving to Clinton County since he and his wife have a small, 15 acre farm in nearby Jamestown, Kentucky.
“We currently have essentially a petting zoo. We have miniature horses, miniature donkeys, and miniature goats,” he said.
In closing, Principal Whitlock said, “I’m honored and excited to become a member of the Bulldog family. Being a UK basketball fan, the colors blue and white are my favorite so this (is) meant to be!”

CCHS Principal

Chris Whitlock