It's official, a school administrator from eastern Kentucky will take the reins of public education K through 12. It happened on the final day of the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly session.
The Kentucky Senate voted Monday to confirm Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Robbie Fletcher as the state’s new education commissioner. Following the confirmation vote, Fletcher said being a home state educator that knows about school funding and accountability is a plus.
“That knows our kids and knows our people and has been throughout the state. I think that means a lot to people. And as a matter of fact as long as I’ve been superintendent you’d always here we need a Kentucky person. We need a Kentucky person. Well here’s our chance,” said Fletcher.
When he first got the call saying he’d been hired to serve as Kentucky’s next state education commissioner, Robbie Fletcher said he cried. He said that’s how much it meant to him. Fletcher said SEEK funding needs revisiting to address a gap between property-rich and property-poor districts.
“We want our students that are in our poorest areas to have access to the best teachers too, across the Commonwealth. So, again, I think we have great teachers in all geographic locations, but again, what opportunities are we missing by not addressing that gap,” said Fletcher.
Fletcher’s been the head of the northeastern Kentucky school district since 2014.
He begins his new responsibilities July first.
Here's more with Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher:
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