Kelly Craft vows to 'dismantle' Department of Education as governor

Joe Sonka Olivia Krauth
Louisville Courier Journal
Kelly Craft formally files for Kentucky Governor. 
Jan. 5, 2023

Kelly Craft told an audience last week that one of her first acts in office if she is elected as governor this year will be to "dismantle" the Kentucky Department of Education.

The audio of Craft, who is running in a crowded field of candidates in the Republican primary, was provided by American Bridge 21st Century, a national Democratic PAC that sent a tracker to record her at her Feb. 2 campaign event in Versailles. Her campaign later verified the audio.

"I will tell you that one of the very first pieces of action as governor, the Kentucky Department of Education will be dismantled," Craft said, followed by applause from the audience.

Poll:Andy Beshear tops 4 key Republican candidates in 2023 Kentucky governor's election

After the applause, Craft added: "We must revamp this entire department." She did not share specifics about what she would like to change. 

Later at the event last week, Craft doubled down with the same wording, saying "we must hold the Kentucky Department of Education accountable, and the only way to do that is to dismantle it through a piece of legislation and to start over."

Toni Konz Tatman, a spokesperson for KDE, said the department is not under the control of the governor's office, so Craft would not have the authority to dismantle the agency if elected.

“No one can hide that our current State Board of Education and Department of Education are a mess ― pushing woke agendas in our schools," Craft said Monday in an emailed statement from a spokesperson. "I’ll dismantle our current board and start over. I’ll empower parents, send more resources to the classroom, and end the woke nonsense being pushed in our schools.”

The Craft campaign later issued a statement confirming she wants to dismantle both the board and department, replacing them with people "who empower parents and will make sure teachers teach the ABC's not the CRT's."

At the event last week, Craft continued on to say, “when I appoint people to the state school board, I want those individuals to be Senate confirmed.” 

The governor appoints members of the Kentucky Board of Education, and they must be confirmed by the Senate by the end of the next legislative session. If an appointee is not confirmed, they can no longer be on the board and the governor must pick someone else.

LIST: Here's the latest on key bills from the 2023 Kentucky legislature

A 2021 law prohibits Kentucky governors from reorganizing the Kentucky Board of Education on their own through an executive order, like how Gov. Andy Beshear did on his inauguration day in 2019. Most of the current board members’ terms expire in April 2024. 

“They need to be confirmed,” Craft continued. “We all deserve to know who the governor is appointing to make decisions based upon the curriculum for our children and the future of our children.” 

The names of appointees are often shared by media outlets soon after the governor’s office announces the appointment. The names of current KBE members are also publicly available. 

While KBE is responsible for overseeing Kentucky’s public school system, district superintendents — not the board — determine what curriculum their schools use. 

Gerth:Who is missing from Kelly Craft’s table? Someone who can explain her misleading ad

The state education board is also responsible for firing or hiring Kentucky’s education commissioner. Craft did not mention a desire to get rid of current commissioner Jason Glass, who replaced Wayne Lewis after Lewis resigned shortly after Beshear instituted a new board in 2019

Craft also dinged the Kentucky Department of Education for allegedly “discouraging teachers from having relationships with the parents.”  

“Who does that hurt the most? It hurts our children,” Craft continued.

That is not a policy of KDE’s, Tatman confirmed. "We're not really sure where that's coming from," Tatman said.

Tatman said KDE has more than 1,000 employees, with 385 based in Frankfort and 698 employed at the Kentucky School for the Deaf, Kentucky School for the Blind and area technology centers.

Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, who is also running for governor as a Republican, issued a critical statement after the PAC tweeted out a six-second clip of Craft vowing to dismantle the department if she takes office.

Stating that the public education system has flaws that need to be reformed, Keck added: "But to suggest, as it appears Kelly Craft has, that dismantling this system is the answer to its problems is not leadership at all."

"I’ll put in the work as governor alongside Kentucky teachers and administrators to make our education system one of the best in America."

Reach Olivia Krauth at okrauth@courierjournal.com and on Twitter at @oliviakrauth.  Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka