Elaine Farris became Kentucky’s interim commissioner of education February 1, 2009.  She has served as deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Learning and Results Services for the Kentucky Department of Education since August 2007.  She has been a public school servant for 27 years serving as elementary school teacher, track coach, assistant principal, and principal in the Clark County School System and elementary director for Fayette County Public Schools.  Ms. Farris was selected for the first class of interns to participate in KDE’s Minority Superintendent Internship Program and later became Kentucky’s first African American school superintendent at Shelby County Public Schools.  Ms. Farris holds a bachelor of science degree in secondary physical education and a master of arts degree and Rank I in education and school leadership from Eastern Kentucky University.  Her superintendent certification is from the University of Kentucky, and she is pursuing an Ed.D. degree in educational leadership and policy development in EKU’s first educational leadership doctoral program.