LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky Commissioner of Education Jason Glass is stepping down.
In a release, the KDE said Monday that Glass is leaving the job to become associate vice president of teaching and learning at Western Michigan University. His last day as commissioner is Sept. 29.
"These past three years have been a remarkable journey and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to return to my home state and serve as commissioner," Glass said in a news release. "I have a heart full of gratitude."
Glass was appointed commissioner in 2020 by the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE). His four-year contract was set to expire in September 2024.
The commissioner oversees the Commonwealth’s K-12 school system and its 635,000 students, as well as acts as superintendent of the Kentucky School for the Blind, the Kentucky School for the Deaf and 53 area technology centers.
Gov. Andy Beshear released a statement following the announcement. "I want to thank Commissioner Glass for his service to Kentucky. I will call on the Kentucky Board of Education to conduct a national search to find the right person to fill this important role and continue to move our education system forward for children across the commonwealth."
KBE Chair Lu S. Young a the department will a special-called meeting in mid-August to determine next steps and a timeline for moving forward with an interim commissioner. She did say no action would be taken on the search for a new commissioner at the KBE meeting Aug. 2-3 at the Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park in Burkesville.
Glass began as commissioner six months into the global COVID-19 pandemic. He has helped lead the education department through the Dec. 2021 tornadoes in western Kentucky and the July 2022 severe flooding in eastern Kentucky. Both disasters impacted schools and districts in each part of the state.
In May, Glass was a finalist to lead schools in Baltimore, Maryland. He did not get that job. At the time, KDE spokesperson Toni Konz Tatman said, "Dr. Glass is seeking opportunities that are the right fit for his family, and that allow him to continue what has been a successful and meaningful career."
Tatman also said in May that Glass disagrees with how Kentucky lawmakers have prioritized education.
"It has been clear to Dr. Glass that the education priorities of the legislature are focused on culture war issues and dismantling the state's public schools. Commissioner Glass does not share these values and hopes Kentucky can find a way to recommit to supporting its public schools and to creating meaningful learning experiences for all students," she said at the time.
A native of Brandenburg and a third-generation Kentucky educator, Glass previously served as superintendent of Jeffco Public Schools in Colorado for three years and was superintendent of Eagle County Schools in Colorado from 2013 to 2017. He began his career as a social studies teacher at Hazard Independent Schools.
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