Three finalists were named Friday in the search for the Kentucky Department of Education’s next commissioner.
The finalists, narrowed down from a field of 15 applicants by the Kentucky Board of Education, all currently work in the state and each has experience leading school districts in the Commonwealth.
The candidates include Buddy Berry, superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools; Robbie Fletcher, superintendent of Lawrence County Schools; and Jim Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents.
KBE members will interview the three finalists in Louisville on March 18 and 19. According to a KBE release, the board hopes to have a new commissioner submitted for approval by the end of March.
A new law passed last year also requires the commissioner of education to be confirmed by the state senate.
The new education commissioner will replace Jason Glass, who left the post last year due to his objections over enforcing anti-LGBTQ+ state laws in Kentucky schools. Glass was the third commissioner since 2018 to leave the job amid political turmoil.
Robin Fields Kinney has been serving as the KDE’s interim commissioner since Sept. 30. Upon her hiring, the board and Kinney agreed that she would not be considered a candidate for the permanent position.
(This story first ran on WKMS, the public radio station at Murray State University.)
