State Board of Ed to Begin Search for New Commissioner Soon

The Kentucky Department of Education is again looking for a new commissioner.Jon Draud resigned the post earlier this month, citing health reasons. He suffered a mild stroke in September.Department spokesperson Lisa Gross says the parameters of what they’re looking for in a leader change with the times."The criteria is very general right now, and it does change, because the needs change," says Gross." Right now, we’re dealing with a fairly severe budget crisis in Kentucky, it wasn’t as severe two years ago when we were looking for someone to fill this position."Gross says the state board of education will interview potential search firms for the position next month in Louisville.Before Draud was hired, the job went to Illinois educator Barbara Irwin, but she resigned before starting work when questions arose about her qualifications. She had been selected to replace longtime commissioner Gene Wilhoit.