State Sen. Johnny Key, R-Mountain Home.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday nominated former state Sen. Johnny Key to be the new Commissioner of Education and the administrative head of the Arkansas Department of Education.
Key served in the state Senate from 2003 to 2014. From 2009 on, he served on the Senate Education Committee, including a stint as chair.
The Mountain Home Republican has been involved in a number of school issues since serving in the Legislature since 2003. He is not an educator or former superintendent, as is currently required.
Hutchinson has asked lawmakers to change the job requirements.
Currently, Key is the Associate Vice President for University Relations at the University of Arkansas System. He replaces Tony Wood, who stayed in the post during the transition from former Gov. Mike Beebe.
“There may be no more important confirmation I make as governor than Education Commissioner, and I am fortunate that Johnny Key is willing and eager to take on the challenge of improving education for all Arkansans,” Hutchinson said in a statement. “I know he will do an outstanding job.”
Key said his focus will be on collaboration.
“I am confident that the 475,000 students of Arkansas can lead the nation in educational growth and achievement if all stakeholders – parents, teachers, administrators, communities, businesses, and state officials – hold high expectations and work in a cooperative and collaborative manner to meet those expectations,” he said. “I am excited to have the opportunity to promote that spirit of cooperation and collaboration.”
The Mountain Home Republican is a former chairman of the Senate Education Committee and has been involved in a number of school issues since serving in the Legislature since 2003. He is not an educator or former superintendent, as is currently required.
Hutchinson has asked lawmakers to change the job requirements.
Key was a legislator as Arkansas addressed issues raised in a lawsuit filed by the now-defunct Lake View School District over funding levels and inequities.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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