JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Jason Glass said Friday that he is leaving Colorado to be Kentucky's commissioner of education.
Glass has been Jeffco schools superintendent since 2017. He said that his contract requires he give 60 days notification and he plans to continue working in Jefferson County through early September.
He said in the statement that he will work with the Board of Education and district leaders through the transition process as the district conducts a search for a new superintendent.
"The pull to Kentucky is strong," Glass said in the statement. "While I have lived in Colorado for almost 17 years, Kentucky is the place I grew up and where family is."
A press release from the Kentucky State Board of Education said that prior to working in Jeffco Public School, Glass was superintendent of Eagle County Schools and Iowa’s director of education from 2010 to 2013.
“Dr. Glass’s extensive experience, including having served as the chief state school officer in Iowa and as a school superintendent with urban, suburban and rural school communities, along with a strategic vision and a track record for moving a school transformation agenda at the state policy level combine to make him a great fit for the Commonwealth," said Lu Young, chair of the Kentucky Board of Education, in the release.
Jefferson County Public Schools this week released its plan for the return to schools this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan called for families to choose between 100% in-person learning or 100% remote learning.
Here is the full statement from Glass:
It is with mixed emotions that I inform you that the Kentucky State Board of Education announced today that I would be the next Commissioner of Education. The pull to Kentucky is strong. While I have lived in Colorado for almost 17 years, Kentucky is the place I grew up and where family is.
Our family has loved living in Jeffco and our children have received an exceptional education thanks to Jeffco Public Schools. I have loved working with the incredibly talented people throughout this organization and will miss the powerful commitment to quality and community that I have seen and learned from in Jeffco. Above all else, we are grateful.
Going forward, I will be working with the Board of Education and our Cabinet team through the transition process. My contract specifies that I remain as superintendent for 60 days from notification and I plan to be fully working and supporting our organization in that capacity until early September. During this time, the Board of Education will be determining their transition plan and the steps they will take to search for a new superintendent. They will be communicating their decisions with all of us once known.They will be communicating their decisions with all of us once known.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your superintendent - it has been a tremendous professional honor and Jeffco has had a powerful and positive impact on my family and me.
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