LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Three finalists, all with ties to Kentucky, have been named for the education commissioner vacancy.
The Kentucky Board of Education announced Wednesday that Julian Vasquez Heilig, dean of the University of Kentucky's College of Education; Felicia Cumings Smith, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at Jefferson County Public Schools; and Jason Glass, superintendent and chief learner for Jeffco Public Schools in the Denver, Colorado, area, could be the state's next education commissioner.
The three will be interviewed by the education board on July 6 and July 7 in Louisville, according to a news release.
Smith declined an interview request but said in a message that she was "thrilled to be named a finalist among this group." Vasquez Heilig directed the inquiry to the Kentucky Department of Education, adding in a message that was "honored to be nominated."
Glass, a Brandenburg native and third-generation Kentucky educator, says he's "tremendously honored to be named a finalist."
"It was a combination of being called to serve the state of Kentucky and also feeling like I had the professional background and skills to do that job," he said.
A new commissioner is expected to be named later in July.
The position has been vacant since former Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis negotiated his resignation days after Gov. Andy Beshear took office and reorganized the state board.
Kevin Brown, general counsel for JCPS, has served as interim since Dec. 18.
Smith, Brown's colleague at JCPS, joined Kentucky's largest school district as assistant superintendent of academic services in 2017. Previously, she served as senior program officer of K-12 education for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She began her teaching career at JCPS as an elementary and reading resource teacher and worked as an associate commissioner and K-12 program consultant for the Kentucky Department of Education, according to a news release.
Vasquez Heilig, a Michigan native, started at UK in 2019 after serving as director of the doctorate in educational leadership program and a professor of educational leadership and policy studies at California State University, according to his UK biography.
He's also credited as an author or co-author in nearly 50 peer-reviewed journals and articles on topics like racial equity and teacher preparation, his biography says.
Vasquez Heilig taught and led in numerous positions at the University of Texas from 2006 until 2014, such asassociate professor of educational policy and planning and coordinator of the school's master's program in educational policy, according to the state education board's news release.
Glass began as superintendent and chief learner for Jeffco Public Schools in 2017 after serving as superintendent of Eagle County Schools in Colorado, the news release says.
He worked as director of education for the state of Iowa from 2010 until 2013 and began teaching as a high school social studies teacher for Hazard Independent Schools, according to the release.
Asked what his priorities will be if he becomes the next education commissioner, Glass said there are three immediate challenges facing Kentucky education: safely reopening schools amid COVID-19, enacting "long overdue" anti-racist and equity policies, and managing a difficult budget situation.
"Kentucky's economy like those around the rest of the country has suffered because of the recession associated with COVID-19, and we may have multiyear effects because of that, so we're going to have to support our schools in how they can survive this economic downturn and then emerge from it," Glass said.
He said he also hoped to improve the state's education system after getting a better idea of what parents want for their kids.
Lu Young, chairwoman of the Kentucky Board of Education, said determining the final three candidates "has been a very difficult task due to the high-quality background and vast experience of those who applied for the position,:
“We will continue to focus on the characteristics we agreed upon as a board, as well as take into consideration the important feedback we received from our stakeholders early in the search process. We look forward to learning more from each of the candidates next week."
The Kentucky Board of Education hired Greenwood/Asher & Associates to lead the search for a new education chief for nearly $150,000.
Greenwood/Asher made 211 contacts, received 49 nominations and reviewed 46 applications before narrowing the field to 11 candidates in June, according to the state's news release. The field was later winnowed to four, with the final three accepting a second round of interviews, the release says.
"We knew there could have been some issues with searching for a new commissioner during a pandemic, but the board felt it was best to move forward and was willing to take the time to do this search correctly," Young said in a statement.
"I’m happy to say that the extenuating circumstances caused by COVID-19 have not hurt the process and I believe we will come away from this with the right person to lead education in Kentucky forward."
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