Applications open for Kentucky Board of Education nonvoting student and teacher members for 2022-2023

Students and Teachers are eligible

(FRANKFORT, KY) – Applications are now being accepted for the ex-officio nonvoting student and teacher members of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE). The selected student and teacher members will serve a one-year term from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.

“Having a practicing teacher and a current high school student as ex-officio members of the Kentucky Board of Education has added authenticity and accountability to our work,” said KBE Chair Lu S. Young. “Allison Slone and Solyana Mesfin are respected contributors to every decision we consider and I am thankful that the General Assembly has paved a path forward to include student and teacher representatives for years to come.

“I hope we see a great deal of interest in these two positions for the new terms. There is important work ahead and we desperately need the perspectives of those who benefit most directly from our efforts – students and teachers.”

Composition, Authority and Duties of KBE

The KBE has 15 members. The governor appoints 11 voting members, seven representing the Supreme Court districts and four representing the state at large. The additional members – the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet, a high school student and an active elementary or secondary school teacher – serve as non-voting members. 

As mandated by Kentucky ​law, the KBE develops and adopts the regulations that govern Kentucky's 171 public school districts and the actions of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).

The duties of the board as defined by Kentucky statutes include:

• Oversee legislative budget priorities for KDE;
• Serve as the board for Kentucky School for the Blind and Kentucky School for the Deaf;
• Establish administrative regulations and academic performance standards for all Kentucky school districts;
• Designate an organization to oversee interscholastic athletics;
• Adopt policies and administrative regulations that govern KDE; and
• Suspend any superintendent or public school officer guilty of misconduct.

Time Commitment

The estimated time required for the board members will be at least two successive school days every other month to attend regular KBE meetings, usually in Frankfort; sufficient time to review the agenda materials in advance of the meeting; additional time for handling other board-related business; and time to attend selected meetings, workshops and/or conferences. Remote attendance is optional.

Applicants who apply acknowledge the one-year commitment from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, and the time commitment that will be necessary if selected.

Eligibility

To be selected as the student member, the applicant must be enrolled in a Kentucky public high school, be a junior in good standing on July 1 – which means a sophomore at the time of application – and reside in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.

Counties in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District include: Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Carter (partial), Gallatin, Grant, Greenup, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Nelson (partial), Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble.

To be selected as the teacher member, the applicant must be employed on a full-time basis by a Kentucky public school district in a position for which Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) certification is required, not employed in an administrative role and must reside in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District.

Counties in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District include: Anderson (partial), Bath (partial), Bourbon, Clark, Estill,  Fayette, Fleming, Garrard, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Montgomery, Nicholas, Powell, Scott and Woodford.

Selection Process

Applications are due March 7 at 5 p.m. ET. By March 10, the commissioner’s designee will forward all eligible applications to the Commissioner’s Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) and the Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) for review and recommendation. Applications for those who are ineligible for appointment because they do not meet the requirements will not be forwarded for review.

TAC and SAC, or a subset of the councils, will review the applications. By April 1, TAC and SAC will recommend to the board three candidates from their respective application pool for selection as the teacher member and student member.

No later than its last regular meeting of the fiscal year, KBE will consider the recommendations and by majority vote select one candidate to serve as the ex-officio nonvoting teacher member and one candidate to serve as the ex-officio nonvoting student member. The selected teacher and student names will be forwarded to the Governor's Office for Boards and Commissions for approval and issuance of a commission to serve on the KBE.

Required Application Materials

Each prospective applicant should fully understand the time requirement that serving on the KBE would add to their workload and schedule and give serious consideration to the frequent travel requirements of the position.

Applications for the teacher member can be submitted via Google Form. Application materials include:

• The applicant’s name, home address, public school district of employment and congressional district of residence;

• Resume or curriculum vitae;
• 500- to 750-word narrative statement explaining why the applicant wants to serve as a non-voting teacher member of the board;
• A statement of assurance from the applicant that they meet the definition of a teacher; and
• A description, if any, of any pending or final disciplinary action against the applicant by the EPSB.

Applications for the student member can be submitted via Google Form. Application materials include:

• The applicant’s name, home address, public school district of enrollment and congressional district of residence;

• One- to two-page resume;
• 500- to 750-word narrative statement explaining why the applicant wants to serve as a non-voting student member of the board;

• Two letters of recommendation from a teacher, school administrator, employer, coach or volunteer supervisor explaining why the applicant should be appointed to the board; and

• Parent statement of support.

Because the KBE meetings the student member attends often conflict with when school is in session, it is important to applicants speak with their principal about the potential time commitment if they were to be selected to serve on the KBE. KDE recommends using the provided school statement of support as a way to have that conversation. Having a statement of support does not affect the selection process and will not hinder an applicant’s eligibility as a potential candidate.

Application Submission

Completed applications must be submitted via Google Form by March 7 at 5 p.m. ET. For more information about the teacher and student member positions on the KBE, email KDE Director of Education Policy Meredith Brewer. If you have questions about the application, email Audrie Lamb, KDE Communications intern