Commissioner of Education could be announced on Wednesday

Kentucky Board of Education calls special meeting for 2:30 p.m.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 22, 2015) — The Kentucky Board of Education could officially name Stephen L. Pruitt as the new commissioner of education during a special meeting at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the state board room, 1st floor Capital Plaza Tower, 500 Mero Street in Frankfort.

Shortly after roll call, the board will go into closed session per KRS 61.810(1)(f) to review and discuss the in-depth background check on Pruitt, who was previously named the finalist for the position. Following that discussion, the board will come back into open session and is expected to consider a motion to authorize Kentucky Board of Education Chair Roger Marcum to make an offer of employment and negotiate the terms of employment for Kentucky’s next commissioner of education. The board plans to ratify the new commissioner’s contract at its Oct. 6 meeting with the new commissioner starting later in the month.

Pruitt is currently senior vice president at Achieve, Inc., an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization, where he has served since 2010. Pruitt’s prior experience includes chief of staff, associate state superintendent, director of academic standards, and science and mathematics program manager with the Georgia Department of Education; and high school chemistry teacher in Fayetteville and Tyrone, Georgia. He earned a bachelor’s degree from North Georgia College and State University; a master’s from the University of West Georgia and a Doctorate of Philosophy from Auburn University.

Wednesday’s special board meeting will be webcast, except for that portion that is conducted in closed session per KRS 61.810(1)(f). Information on how to access the webcast will be available on the Kentucky Department of Education’s homepage the day of the meeting.