Kentucky education leader worries bill prioritizes ‘political capital’ in hiring commissioner
A bill is advancing through the legislature that would change how the state’s school chief is approved.
The House Education Committee approved on a party-line vote Senate Bill 107 requiring Senate approval for the Kentucky Commissioner of Education.
The bill could be approved by the full House of Representatives this week.
Under current law, the Kentucky Board of Education hires the commissioner and the governor appoints state board members who are confirmed by the Senate.
The bill comes as Kentucky Commissioner of Education Jason Glass has been heavily criticized by some Republican lawmakers over inclusive LGBTQ stances.
Under Senate Bill 107, the Commissioner would be approved by the Senate and the Commissioner’s term would be limited to four years, Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, has previously said.
The intent, Wilson said, is to mitigate political influence. The state board of education still hires the commissioner, but the commissioner has to be confirmed or reconfirmed by the Senate, he said.
“If the Commissioner is doing a great job, it’s no problem,” said Wilson. “I just think that that brings us some accountability to the legislature, because again, when we see things going in a different direction than we want it to go, we pass legislation to try to bring it back in. It wold be nice to have some accountability where it really belongs — with the legislature.”
Wilson said the process needed more checks and balances.
State Rep. Tina Bojanowski, D-Louisville, said she’s concerned the bill won’t keep politics out of education in Kentucky because the Senate is overwhelmingly Republican.
“Here’s something I really don’t understand: How can this process be less political when a chamber with (a) supermajority has to confirm the commissioner?” Bojanowski said. “To me, that’s the essence of politics, that one chamber that has all the power and makes the decision, final decision.”
She added: “You may say that this is... keeping politics out of education, but I think it plunks it right down in politics.”
Lu S. Young, chair of the Kentucky Board of Education, has previously said she has concerns the bill would impede progress.
“I worry that Senate Bill 107 would reverse the progress we have made during the past three decades and return the state to a time when the leadership of Kentucky’s public schools was determined by political capital and connections, not professional experience,” Young said. “Currently, the Kentucky Department of Education operates independently, which allows the commissioner to focus on what truly matters — our students and educators,” she said.
In Spring 2021, Young previously said, the General Assembly took steps toward stabilizing the Kentucky Board of Education by requiring board appointments to maintain a balance in gender, race and political representation. The legislation is having the desired result, she said.
“The KBE stands unified in support of the way we select our state education chief and we remain committed to ensuring every student has access to high-quality, lifelong learning,” she said.
This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 11:42 AM.
