Three finalists were chosen Friday to find the next secretary of the Kentucky Department of Education.
The finalists, selected from a field of 15 applicants by the Kentucky Board of Education, all currently work within the state and each has experience leading school districts within the commonwealth.
Candidates include Buddy Berry, superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools. Robbie Fletcher, Lawrence County Schools Superintendent; and Jim Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky School Superintendents Association.
KBE members will be interviewing the three finalists in Louisville on March 18th and 19th. The board hopes to submit a new commissioner for approval by the end of March, according to a KBE release.
A new law passed last year also requires education commissioners to be approved by the state Senate.
The new school board member will replace Jason Glass, who resigned last year over his opposition to enforcing anti-LGBTQ+ state laws in Kentucky schools. Glass is the third commissioner to resign since 2018 amid political turmoil.
Robin Fields Kinney has been serving as KDE's interim commissioner since September 30th. Upon her hiring, the Board of Directors and Mr. Kinney agreed not to consider her as a candidate for her permanent position.
(This article was first broadcast on WKMS, Murray State University's public radio station.)
Hannah Saad is assistant news director at WKMS. A native of Michigan, Hannah earned a bachelor's degree in news media from the University of Alabama. Before she joined WKMS in March 2023, Hannah was a news reporter for the Paducah Sun.
