The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) continues its search for a new education commissioner to fill the position previously held by Dr. Jason Glass. The position has been vacant since Glass resigned in fall 2023. The application deadline was Feb. 15, and the KBE reports that 15 people have applied. This is a low number compared to when Glass was hired for the position in 2020, during which 46 applications were reviewed.
The spokesperson for the KBE, Jennifer Ginn, explained that the names of the applicants are not yet available to the public. “The names of applicants are confidential at this time and will remain confidential until the Kentucky Board of Education releases the names of finalists, with their consent.”
The interview committee is scheduled to meet March 7-8 to review applications and select final candidates. Interviews will be held with the finalists March 18-19 to determine a final candidate. The KBE has been conducting a national search for a new commissioner for many months, and they aim to have a new commissioner chosen by July 1.
Previous commissioner Glass resigned in Sept. 2023, leaving his four-year contract early. His resignation was partially due to controversial laws regarding LGBTQ+ issues that were passed during the previous legislative session. Since then he has assumed the role of Vice President at Western Michigan University. Glass is the third commissioner since 2018 to either resign from the position or be forced out due to political turmoil. Robin Fields Kinney has held the position as an interim education commissioner since Oct. 2023, but only as a temporary replacement.
The education commissioner is the chief state school officer who oversees Kentucky’s K-12 school system, which consists of 171 public school districts and an estimated 635,000 students. They also serve as superintendent for the Kentucky School for the Deaf, the Kentucky School for the Blind, and 53 area technology centers. The commissioner oversees the daily operations of the KBE. They promote and implement policies and direct the KBE in the management of schools. They also serve as executive secretary for the Education Professional Standards Board, which is responsible for teacher regulations and requirements. According to the job posting, the commissioner must be able to work collaboratively with the KBE, the Kentucky General Assembly, school district leadership and state educational partners.
State education officials want to decide on an applicant in a timely manner so that they can be confirmed by the 2024 Kentucky Senate. In 2023, a law was passed by the General Assembly that now requires the Kentucky Senate to approve the candidate for the position.
The KBE has set up a web page where they will be posting updates on the process of finding and instating a new commissioner. In a statewide message, Kinney told school superintendents that “the Board and the Kentucky Department of Education are committed to being fair and transparent as we continue the search for a new commissioner.”