News Headlines
Source: Lexington, KSBA eNews, July 2, 2009
Four chosen as finalists to become KY education commissioner
Names may be released Friday
By Brad Hughes
Four people remain under consideration to be Kentucky’s next commissioner of education, and their names could be announced as early as Friday morning.
“We’re down to four candidates and our search firm is making the calls to them and the other candidates we’ve already talked to in person,” said Kentucky Board of Education Chairman Joe Brothers. If all of the candidates are reached quickly, the state Department of Education is expected to issue a news release Friday morning announcing the identities of the finalists.
The state board selected the four applicants to be called back for a second round of face-to-face, closed session interviews next Wednesday, July 8. Brothers said it is possible that a job offer could be made immediately after those interviews, adding that the target for a formal announcement and contract signing is July 17.
“We think on the 8th that we will pretty well know the leading candidate,” he said. “Whether or not we’ll be ready to release that name depends on the vetting, the continued background checks. We don’t anticipate finalizing anything until July 17, so anything that happens up to that point could impact the final decision.”
Today’s meeting / next steps
The state board met for about 2 ½ hours Thursday morning in Lexington, first going over the background checks and other vetting measures taken by the search firm, Greenwood & Asher Associates, Inc. Then the members agreed on the final candidates for another round of interviews.
“The board absolutely was very much of one accord about the people we should go forward with. It’s been a very positive process. We have a very capable group of candidates. The tough thing was choosing among the 12 candidates from the first round of interviews. This is still a very strong pool,” he said.
A dozen initial interviews were conducted June 14-16. More than 300 people either applied for the position, were nominated or were contacted directly by the search firm about their interest.
Brothers expects the state board to meet with the finalists the evening of July 7 in Lexington prior to the second round of interviews the following day.
“We’ll develop a list of questions individually and collectively about things that are unanswered in our minds. We’ll probably focus on spending some time with those candidates in a social setting the evening before, have an opportunity to get to know them better, try to understand who they are,” he said.
Brothers believes one scenario is that, following the July 8 interviews, the state board could authorize him to begin contract negotiations with a selected candidate.
First day on the job flexible
From the outset of the search process, KBE members have hoped to have a new commissioner on the job by Aug. 1 Brothers said the board will work with the selected candidate on the start date.
“Some of them have indicated that they would need a little more time than Aug.1. Others have indicated that they want to start before school, be involved with the team with the school startup across the state,” he said.
“Sometimes people say they need time, but once they’ve accepted a job, they want to start right away,” Brothers said.
Former Education Commissioner Jon Draud announced his resignation for health reasons last December and the post has been filled since then by interim commissioners Elaine Farris and Kevin Noland.