Kentucky Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday has announced his retirement effective Aug. 31. Holliday has served as commissioner since July 2009.
In a letter read by Kentucky Board of Education Chair Roger Marcum, Holliday said, “I am humbled and very proud to end my 43 years in public education by serving the Commonwealth of Kentucky. For the last six years, it has been my honor to work with an outstanding and supportive governor, a committed State Board of Education, a high-performing Department of Education staff and passionate educators across the commonwealth. Thank you for allowing me to serve the children of this great state.”
The Kentucky School Boards Association’s eNews service reported that the announcement appeared to have caught members of the state board off guard. Marcum said it was “kind of a surprise to all of us.”
He and other board members went on to praise Holliday for his leadership of the state’s elementary and secondary education for nearly six years.
“Dr. Holliday has been a tireless advocate for educational improvement in Kentucky,” Marcum said. “He is driven by doing what’s best for children and a systemic approach to continuous improvement for students, teachers and administrators.”
A press release from the Kentucky Department of Education said that during his tenure Holliday successfully implemented several reform efforts, including Senate Bill 1 (2009) that mandated new academic standards, new aligned assessments and a balanced accountability system; a Professional Growth and Effectiveness System for teachers, principals and superintendents; and a comprehensive system of school and district improvement planning and support.
The release also stated that under Holliday’s leadership, Kentucky has improved dramatically both its graduation rate and the percentage of students who graduate from high school ready for college and careers. The state also has secured continuous federal flexibility via a waiver from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act through the 2018-19 school year.
Prior to coming to Kentucky, Holliday served as superintendent, associate superintendent, director of accountability, principal, assistant principal, director of instrumental music and band director in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Holliday plans to return to North Carolina, where he has maintained a home, KSBA reported.
“I’ll be sitting there, rocking on the porch, and we will look at these board meetings (online) every two months for about 10 minutes and say, ‘Wow’,” he joked.
In 2012, the Kentucky Board of Education approved a four-year extension to his initial contract. The contract was to run through August 4, 2017 at a salary of $225,000 per year.
Marcum said the board will begin to discuss a process for selecting a new commissioner later today.