By Brad Hughes
Special to NKyTribune
The Kentucky Board of Education is behind closed doors today and Saturday in its initial in-person interviews with a dozen candidates seeking the job of commissioner of education.
The meetings, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near the Louisville International Airport, began at 7 a.m. with the schedule calling for a recess later in the day and a resumption of interviews tomorrow morning.
Last week, the 10-member KBE chose 16 applicants to consider for this first round of interviews. After further consideration, 12 of those 16 are being interviewed this weekend.
KBE Chairman Roger Marcum said a decision would be made at the conclusion of the process Saturday on whether interviews with other individuals would be scheduled in the future.
The state board of education is being assisted by the Florida-based consulting firm, Asher/Greenwood and Associates. When that company was hired in May, a proposed process called for additional background checks on a smaller group of finalists before a second round of face-to-face interviews with those candidates.
Education Commissioner Terry Holliday is retiring as of Aug. 31. Marcum has said he hopes to have a new commissioner named before that date. The state board recently named KDE Associate Commissioner and General Counsel Kevin Brown to serve as interim commissioner starting Sept. 1. He will continue in that role until the new commissioner can start work, a period of time Marcum has said he hopes would be less than 60 days.
Brad Hughes is director of member support for the Kentucky School Boards Association and writes for its eNews service.