Dr. Robbie Fletcher selected as Kentucky's education commissioner

A Morehead State University education graduate has been chosen to lead Kentucky's education department.

Dr. Robbie Fletcher (Class of 1996, 2013), superintendent of Lawrence County Schools, will serve as the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) Commissioner of Education. Fletcher begins his tenure as the chief state school officer on July 1, pending Kentucky Senate confirmation.

"I appreciate the members of the Kentucky Board of Education nominating me as the next Kentucky Commissioner of Education," Fletcher said. "With Senate confirmation, I look forward to serving ALL students and ALL those involved in our educational system."

Fletcher earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics from Morehead State in 1996. After earning a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Kentucky in 2002, he returned to MSU to earn a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Administration in 2013.

Fletcher has been Lawrence County's superintendent since 2014 and previously was principal at Sheldon Clark High School (2009-14) and Warfield Middle School (2005-09), both in Martin County. He began his career in 1996 as a math and science teacher before becoming Inez Middle School's assistant principal in 2004.

As Kentucky's education commissioner, Fletcher will oversee the daily operations of the KDE. He will also be superintendent of the Kentucky School for the Blind, the Kentucky School of the Deaf, and the state's 50 area technology centers.

Fletcher said the degrees he earned at MSU and his campus experience helped prepare him for this new role.

"I am very thankful for the educational opportunities that I received as part of the undergraduate and doctoral programs from Morehead State University. The staff of MSU invested a lot of time into this former mathematics/physics teacher and provided valuable resources for my doctoral work in response to intervention (RTI) in the high school setting," he said. "I commend Morehead State and all of our colleges and universities throughout Kentucky that provide opportunities for our students to achieve their dreams."

Fletcher said he does not take this responsibility lightly and plans to dedicate all his efforts to improving educational opportunities in Kentucky.

"I sincerely believe there is no greater compliment, no greater honor, or no greater responsibility than when parents or guardians allow another person to be a part of their child's life. When a child sits on one of our buses or walks through the doorway of one of our schools, a parent or guardian is saying, 'I trust you with my greatest accomplishment,'" he said. "I will do my best to honor that trust that we have been given for over 600,000 Kentucky students by being 'ALL IN' each and every day."

To learn more about Ernst and Sara Volgenau College of Education programs, call 606-783-2162 or email ad.miller@moreheadstate.edu.