Search Begins for Education Commissioner

The State Board of Education this week begins looking for new Commissioner of Education. Commissioner Bob Bartman announced his retirement last Friday, saying he wanted to join his wife Karen in Washington, D-C and spend more time with his children. Bartman was appointed to the post by then-Governor Ashcroft in 1987. Bartman has helped guide the state through the school desegregation lawsuits in Kansas City and St. Louis, and helped implement the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993. State Board of Education President Betty Preston says there’s no time limit on finding a new commissioner. Deputy Commissioner Kent King has been named acting commissioner. Prior to joining the education department in 1996, King was superintendent of the Rolla Public School system.