FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) has announced three finalists to replace Dr. Jason Glass as the state’s next commissioner of education.
Last August, Glass announced he was stepping down due to state lawmakers continued efforts to "inject hyper-partisan” politics into public education policy.
Robin Fields Kinney has been serving as interim commissioner of education since Sept. 30. Officials said she agreed to not being named a candidate for the permanent position when she accepted the interim role.
On Monday, KBE released the names of three men who could potentially replace the outgoing commissioner:
- Buddy Berry, superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools since 2010. Previously worked as a high school mathematics teacher in Owen County and Jefferson County.
- Robbie Fletcher, superintendent of Lawrence County Schools since 2014. Previously worked as a part-time faculty member at Asbury University, and as a principal, assistant principal and mathematics teacher in Martin County.
- Jim Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents since 2019. Previously worked as superintendent of Simpson County Schools from 2003 to 2019, high school principal in Shelby County, and vice principal and high school science teacher in Warren County.
The full KBE plans to interview all three finalists in Louisville on March 18 and March 19.
Officials said the board hopes to have a new commissioner selected and submitted to the Kentucky Senate for consideration of confirmation by the Kentucky Senate by the end of the month.
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