Robbie Fletcher - Global pulse News
  • Kentucky’s Education Commissioner designate to meet with Senate committee Friday

    Kentucky’s Education Commissioner designate to meet with Senate committee Friday

    Kentucky’s Senate Education Committee will meet at 3 p.m. Friday with the Commissioner of Education nominee, Robbie Fletcher.

    Under a new law, Kentucky’s state Senate must confirm the state board of education’s hiring of Fletcher, currently the Lawrence County Superintendent, as commissioner.

    A Thursday afternoon notice from the Senate Committee on Education said Fletcher would be introduced at the meeting and only a discussion would be held.

    Angela Billings, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leadership, said in an email that the Friday committee meeting is an “information only meeting. No vote.”

    That means there would be no vote at the meeting for the resolution supporting Fletcher’s confirmation. The appointment requires confirmation by the entire Senate.

    Billings said the resolution will have to go to the Senate floor for confirmation.

    “It could occur Friday but is not likely to happen until Monday,” Billings said.

    Monday is last day of the 2024 session of the General Assembly.

    A statement from the Senate Majority Caucus said, “Dr. Fletcher will discuss his vision for the future of education in Kentucky with the committee. “

    For Fletcher to be confirmed, the resolution supporting him would be called for a Senate floor vote — processes generally controlled by such Senate GOP leaders as Senate President Robert Stivers, Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer and Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green — and approved by a majority of the Senate.

    Fletcher was hired by the Kentucky Board of Education to replace Jason Glass, who resigned last year after Republican leaders called for his ouster because of the Kentucky Department of Education’s inclusive LGBTQ policies.

    Thayer has said that Fletcher’s confirmation is not a given. Fletcher has said he would work to earn the trust of lawmakers.

    The commissioner of education is the chief state school officer. The commissioner oversees daily operations of the Kentucky Department of Education and acts as superintendent of the Kentucky School for the Blind, the Kentucky School for the Deaf and the 50 area technology centers.

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  • Lawrence County Superintendent Robbie Fletcher new Kentucky education commissioner

    Lawrence County Superintendent Robbie Fletcher new Kentucky education commissioner

    Lawrence County Superintendent Robbie Fletcher has been selected as the next Kentucky education commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education officials said Thursday.

    For the first time under a new state law backed by Republican lawmakers, the 2024 Kentucky Senate will be asked to approve the new commissioner.

    Fletcher would replace Jason Glass who said in August 2023 he was resigning the job and leaving the state because he didn’t want to enforce the “dangerous and unconstitutional” Republican-sponsored Senate Bill 150 that critics called an anti-LGBTQ+ measure.

    GOP lawmakers and politicians had called for Glass’ ouster over the department’s inclusive LGBTQ+ stances.

    The commissioner of education is the chief state school officer who oversees daily operations of the Kentucky Department of Education and acts as superintendent of the Kentucky School for the Blind, the Kentucky School for the Deaf and the 50 area technology centers.

    Like Fletcher, the other two finalists for commissioner, Buddy Berry and Jim Flynn, work in Kentucky.

    Berry is the Eminence Independent Superintendent. Flynn is the executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents and former Simpson County Superintendent.

    Both finalists told the Herald-Leader this week prior to the KDE announcement that they were not hired as commissioner.

    Fletcher has been the superintendent of Lawrence County Schools since July 2014.

    He was a part-time faculty member at Asbury University, and principal, assistant principal and a mathematics teacher in Martin County, KDE officials said.

    Fletcher earned a doctorate in education and a superintendency certification from Morehead State University, a master’s in supervision and administration from the University of Kentucky, and a bachelor’s in mathematics from Morehead State University.

    The Kentucky Board of Education on Thursday conducted a special meeting to vote on the contract and name Fletcher.

    Angela L. Billings, spokesperson for the Senate Majority Leadership, said “the commissioner will be confirmed through a Senate resolution like all other confirmations.”

    She said Wednesday Senate leaders had already had some contact on the matter with KDE “through our policy staff.”

    EPSB inquiry

    Documents the Herald-Leader obtained under the Kentucky Open Records Act showed that in 2019, the Education Professional Standards Board voted to dismiss a case against Fletcher involving school grounds grass mowing bids.

    He told the EPSB in a letter that in the violation of a procurement code case, the Lawrence County school board voted to enter into a mowing contract without his recommendation.

    Fletcher and another district employee took model procurement training in 2018 after the Kentucky Office of Education Accountability found the violation.

    A separate EPSB case involving Fletcher involved the renewal of his teaching certificate, records show.

    As part of his state certification renewal in 2020, Fletcher had to submit character and fitness documents. In a letter, he told the board that a former employee had alleged that the non-renewal of her contract was a violation of her rights, EPSB records show.

    Fletcher said in the letter the district was reducing the number of special education teachers. He said that state child protection officials had substantiated a complaint against the teacher for neglect while performing her job duties as a teacher.

    Documents show EPSB moved forward with renewing Fletcher’s state certification.

    Fletcher did not immediately comment on either case.

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  • Another Kentucky education commissioner candidate says he’s not the finalist. One man is left

    Another Kentucky education commissioner candidate says he’s not the finalist. One man is left

    A second finalist has told the Herald-Leader he will not be named Kentucky’s next education commissioner, leaving Lawrence County Superintendent Robbie Fletcher as the presumed chosen candidate.

    Eminence Superintendent Buddy Berry said in an email Thursday, “I can confirm that I’m not the candidate.”

    The Kentucky Department of Education announced Tuesday it had selected the commissioner of education finalist, but declined to name the candidate until contract negotiations were complete.

    On Wednesday, finalist Jim Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents and former Simpson County Superintendent, told the Herald-Leader he was not the candidate who had entered into a contract with the state school board.

    Fletcher, the only remaining finalist, did not respond to a request asking for comment.

    For the first time under a new law, the Kentucky Senate will have to confirm the education commissioner.

    Kentucky Department of Education officials said they will announce the candidate at 1 p.m. Thursday.

    The position is open following the resignation of Jason Glass last fall.

    This is a developing story and may be updated.

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