New Ky. Education Commissioner calls for opportunity for students, ‘revival’ for teachers
Kentucky’s new Education Commissioner wants more opportunities for students and an innovative accountability system that impacts daily instruction and takes into account “what the community values.”
Robbie Fletcher, who spoke to reporters Monday in his first news conference since lawmakers confirmed his appointment earlier this month under a new state law, also wants “a revival” of appreciation for Kentucky teachers and school staff to address staffing shortages.
Fletcher, the current Lawrence County Superintendent who assumes his post July 1, said he plans to have strong open communication with the Republican-led General Assembly while also maintaining his good relationship with Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, whom Fletcher said had been kind to him.
As the chief state school officer and chief executive officer for the Kentucky Department of Education, the commissioner recommends and implements Kentucky Board of Education policies and directs KDE in the management of the state’s 171 public school districts, the Kentucky School for the Deaf, the Kentucky School for the Blind and the 50 state-operated area technology centers. Kentucky has approximately 634,424 public school students.
Republican lawmakers passed legislation last year that critics saw as anti-LGBTQ and led former Education Commissioner Jason Glass, in part, to resign. Some Republican lawmakers criticized the Kentucky Department of Education’s inclusive LGBTQ policies.
“I’m going to love all students.... regardless of the decisions that they make...regardless of what pronoun they use. We want to make sure we serve all students, that we treat all students equally, that we give all students the same type of opportunities,” Fletcher said.
He said if a teacher has worked with students or parents about a student’s use of pronouns, he would respect it.
“Now, whether I agree with it or not, that’s irrelevant. But I try to make sure the student feels comfortable in my classroom. To me, the pronoun is not nearly as important as ‘Am I showing that student respect and love?’’ he said.
The Kentucky legislature passed a school choice bill this session in which Kentucky voters will decide in the November election if they want taxpayer dollars to go to private and charter schools.
Fletcher said he won’t vote in favor of the amendment because he personally doesn’t think public school dollars should go to private schools. But he would follow the law as commissioner if school choice is approved in Kentucky.
To increase the base amount that each student receives in the state’s main school funding formula — or SEEK — “has to be beneficial for all schools,” Fletcher said. He said he was thankful for the financial resources that the 2024 General Assembly provided for schools.
Fletcher, however, said he would advocate for higher salaries and more resources.
Fletcher said he is in favor of universal pre-Kindergarten for Kentucky in which there would be no income eligibility requirements.
Fletcher said his family is considering a move from Lawrence County to Scott County. His son will be a high school senior in the fall and hasn’t decided if he will move schools, Fletcher said.
His wife is a family physician and his daughter is in her first year of medical school at the University of Kentucky.
