By Jacob Perkins
Jacob.perkins@education.ky.gov 

Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Commissioner Jason E. Glass announced on Jan. 26 the hiring of Meredith Brewer as the department’s director of education policy. She will continue to serve as director of KDE’s Division of Educator Recruitment and Development until officially beginning her new role on Feb. 1.

A smiling woman wearing glasses.

Meredith Brewer

As director of education policy, Brewer will serve as the executive director for the Kentucky Board of Education and as the federal liaison with the U.S. Department of Education. She also will work with the director of government relations and key policy staff on the development and execution of education policy.

“Meredith has been a tremendous asset to the Kentucky Department of Education and I am excited for her to embark on this new journey as our director of education policy,” Glass said. “She will work alongside the Kentucky Board Education as they continue to focus on eliminating the inequities that exist in our public schools.”

Since joining KDE in 2019, Brewer has provided leadership for the department’s statewide educator recruitment initiative, GoTeachKY, and has identified and shared emerging trends and policy priorities for teacher recruitment, retention and professional development.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to support the board in its mission to ensure that every student in Kentucky has equitable access to high-quality, lifelong learning,” she said.

Brewer said she is also excited to work alongside the department’s policy advisers.

“We are fortunate to have an outstanding team of policy advisers at KDE and I look forward to working with them to help prioritize the development of policies that advance the educational experiences of all students,” she said.

Prior to joining KDE, Brewer served as director of the Kentucky Center for Mathematics, and taught at Summit View Elementary (Kenton County) and Rapoport Elementary (Waco, Texas).

Brewer received her doctorate in educational evaluation and policy from the University of Kentucky. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Baylor University (Texas) with a double major in political science and public relations, and also received her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the university.