Confirmed by the Kentucky Senate in April, Dr. Robbie Fletcher is set to begin his role as Kentucky education commissioner on July 1. Fletcher has served in multiple Kentucky school districts, most recently finishing his decade-long tenure as superintendent of Lawrence County Schools.
The commissioner’s primary responsibilities include recommending and implementing policies from the Kentucky Board of Education. Fletcher said in addition to managing Kentucky’s 171 school districts, he also takes a unique role as superintendent of state schools.
“We do have state schools that we’re responsible for, and I’m talking about the Kentucky School for the Deaf, Kentucky School for the Blind. I want to be on their campus. I want to learn more,” said Fletcher. “I want to see what exactly it’s like on those two campuses because technically, I believe I have a superintendent-type role with both of those, and that’s something a lot of people don’t know about.”
Fletcher said he has many aspirations for education statewide, but it all starts with addressing areas of growth on the local level.
“What does the local community want to see from their school and from their district? You know, when a student graduates from Rowan County Public Schools, does it have to mean the same thing as if they graduate from Lawrence County Public Schools? Or Murray Independent? Because we all have different needs in different areas of the community,” said Fletcher.
He said he hopes to work on how Support Education Excellence in Kentucky, or SEEK funding, is distributed amongst Kentucky school districts.
“The cost of living is going to be higher near Jefferson County, Fayette County, I understand that, and so teachers probably should make a little more in that. But also too, we have the responsibility to make sure we have those same types of opportunities for teachers in eastern Kentucky, and western Kentucky.”
As he steps into the position, Fletcher said he intends to provide students and schools with the best possible models for education, both from a local and statewide perspective. Fletcher specifically wants to see improvement in school accountability models. He pointed to local efforts that have made progress, like the Portrait of a Graduate framework.