Dr. Robbie Fletcher approved by Senate as Kentucky’s next commissioner of education
The Kentucky Senate approved Robbie Fletcher, Ed.D., to be the Commonwealth’s next commissioner of education.
Following a meeting with the Senate Education Committee on April 12, the Kentucky Senate approved Fletcher’s nomination on April 15.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as Kentucky’s new education commissioner on July 1,” said Fletcher. “I am grateful for the Senate’s faith in...
KBE names three finalists in search for Kentucky’s new Commissioner of Education
At its meeting on March 8, the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) Interview Committee voted to recommend three candidates as finalists in the search for Kentucky’s next commissioner of education.
The full KBE will interview the finalists in Louisville on March 18-19, and hope to have a new commissioner named and submitted to the Kentucky Senate for consideration of confirmation by the end of the month.
The...
KBE names Robin Fields Kinney as Kentucky’s interim commissioner of education effective Sept. 30
The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) on Thursday named Robin Fields Kinney as interim state commissioner of education.
Kinney, an associate commissioner who oversees the Office of Finance and Operations for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), will assume her new role Sept. 30 – one day after current Education Commissioner Jason E. Glass departs the agency.
Kinney’s annual salary was set...
Two NKY students newly appointed, two to return to KDE Commissioners Student Advisory Council
Twenty-five public high school students, including four from Northern Kentucky, have been named as new members of the 2023-2024 Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) announced Monday.
Established to gather student feedback on critical issues impacting students and schools, the council connects Kentucky students with KDE staff to develop ideas to strengthen...
Jason Glass: As we enter new phase of pandemic, getting our students back on track will take all of us
There are times in everyone’s life where when you look back, you wonder how you ever made it through. Whether it’s the illness of a parent or a child, or the estrangement of a dear friend or loved one, these are times that change us and can make us stronger.
The whole world has recently been going through such a challenging time. In Kentucky, we have just passed the two-year mark for first COVID...
Jason Glass: Public school students’ drawings illustrate why teacher diversity matters in Kentucky
About a year ago, someone from the Kentucky Education Association reached out to our office and asked if we would like to display the drawings our public school students did as part of their Difference Makers Art Contest. As those drawings were recently being taken down, it got me thinking about how they connect to the department’s efforts on teacher diversity and teacher recruitment.
Each of those...
Jason Glass: Time of new beginnings for high school seniors and for planning the what’s-next in your lives
January is a time for new beginnings, perhaps this year more so than most. With a COVID-19 vaccine already being distributed in Kentucky, we can look forward to a time when we all can return to a more normal life.
It soon will be a time of new beginnings for this year’s high school seniors. Even though their senior year hasn’t been what they anticipated, now is the time to be following through...
Kentucky Commissioner of Education: How to talk to students about January 6 — it’s a teachable moment
By Jason E. Glass
Commission of Education
Throughout the course of my education career, I have engaged in numerous discussions on how and if schools should discuss and teach controversial topics with students.
Those arguing against taking on difficult and political issues in schools usually see the purpose of public education narrowly. One of these views is that schools exist to teach students essential...
Kentucky Board of Education narrows candidate pool to six for the next Commissioner of Education
The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) approved a motion to direct search firm Greenwood/Asher and Associates Inc. to conduct reference checks on six candidates in the running to be Kentucky’s next commissioner of education.
The KBE conducted 11 virtual interviews for the position over the span of two special virtual meetings held June 11-12.
Six interviews were held on June 11, with the remaining...
Kevin Brown: An update for Kentucky families about the coronavirus crisis and our schools
It has been just over a month since Kentucky’s first case of COVID-19 was confirmed, and it has been the longest month of many of our lives. We had no idea when that announcement was made on March 6 how our lives were about to change and we still don’t know when they’ll return to something close to normal.
We couldn’t know when the Harrison County schools announced the following day they were...
Wayne Lewis: The imperative of closing the achievement gap in Kentucky; there is still work to do
Kentucky’s public school system is fundamentally different from the system of the 1980s. Kentucky has been noted for reforms leading to greater equity in school funding, increased performance accountability and higher academic standards. Today, by most accounts, Kentucky now sits ahead of 15 or more states in academic performance.
While overall student performance has increased significantly in...
Stephen Pruitt: Come to a Town Hall and make yourself heard on new accountability system
One year ago I began a listening tour of 11 town hall meetings throughout Kentucky. During those meetings, I asked those who attended what they valued in the Commonwealth’s public schools. This would serve as the basis for building our new accountability system under the Every Student Succeeds Act.
What we often heard was the new system should focus on the welfare of all students and promote good...
