After about three years as Jeffco Public Schools' superintendent, Jason Glass has been named the next Commissioner of Education for the state of Kentucky.

In a July 10 letter to the community, Glass announced that he would be taking the position after serving for 60 more days as Jeffco's superintendent, or until the beginning of September.

“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,” he said. “…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.”

In its search, the Kentucky Board of Education made 211 contacts, received 49 nominations and reviewed 46 applications for the position. On July 1, Glass was announced as one of three finalists for the position.

As the Commissioner of Education, Glass will be the chief executive of the state's Department of Education and will oversee the department and its services.

Glass is a Kentucky native and attended the University of Kentucky, where he earned a master's degree in education, a master's degree in political science and a bachelor's degree in political science and history.

In addition to his time at Jeffco Public Schools, he served as superintendent for Colorado's Eagle County Schools, director of the Department of Education in Iowa and in other positions.

On July 10, Jeffco Board of Education president Susan Harmon gave a statement highlighting the accomplishments Glass has been a part of since he became superintendent in 2017.

“Soon after he arrived in 2017, he reinvigorated our strategic plan to focus on transforming the student learning experience and brought it to life in our classrooms with our students and teachers,” she said. “During his second year as Superintendent, he worked with our community to pass two critical ballot questions, a mill levy override and a school construction bond to help move us into the future with better financial footing.

“His foresight in transitioning schools to enhanced learning through 1-to-1 device technology and increasing our in-person and online communication and virtual learning tools, was critical to the District's success in rapidly implementing remote learning this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” her statement continued.

Until his departure, Glass will be working full-time as superintendent and will help the Board of Education and district cabinet navigate the transition.

In her statement, Harmon said the district would spend the next 60 days in which Glass continues as superintendent to determine its transition plan and process for selecting a new superintendent. The district will communicate these decisions as they are made, she said.