The Kentucky Board of Education has named four out of state applicants as finalists for commissioner of education.

Board Chairman Joe Brothers of Elizabethtown said there were a number of strong candidates from Kentucky, but “it comes down to qualifications and competitiveness, and the finalists have very significant accomplishments in terms of student performance.”

The finalists are Dr. Dennis W. Cheek, currently the senior fellow at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo.; Dr. Terry Holliday, superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools in Statesville, N. Car.; Dr. Catherine Cross Maple, Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Public Education Dept.; and Michael Sentance, who was the Secretary’s Regional Representative of the U.S. Dept. of Education.

Brothers said the board intends to meet individually with each finalist in Frankfort next Wednesday and could name its leading candidate at that time.

“There’s a good possibility the board will choose a leading candidate at that point, but background checks and reference checks will continue right up until July 17 when we hope to make a final announcement,” Brothers said.

That person will replace John Draud, a former Kentucky superintendent and legislator, who resigned as commissioner last year because of health problems. Draud was hired after the abortive hiring of Barbara Erwin who resigned the position shortly after being named commissioner and before she began the job after several media stories were published about controversies in her previous jobs.

There were more than 300 applicants for the position this time and Brothers said they comprised “a very strong pool.” But the four finalists, he said, stood out for their experience and their understanding of national trends in education.

“Their breadth of experience at the local, state, regional and national levels was very strong,” Brothers said. “They are tuned in to all the goings-on nationally and they have significant accomplishments.”

Cheek has held his fellow’s position at Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation since May. He previously was vice president of education at the foundation and before that held a similar position for Venture Philanthropy Innovation and at the John Templeton Foundation in Pennsylvania. He was director of high school reform, research and adult education for the Rhode Island Department of Education, and held positions in Tennessee and New York. He holds doctorate degrees from the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Durham.

Holliday, the North Carolina superintendent, has doctorate degrees from the universities of Winthrop and South Carolina. His North Carolina school district was named the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner. He has held positions of superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal and music and band teaching positions in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Maple has been deputy secretary of the New Mexico Education Cabinet since 2004. Previously, she was assistant secretary for vocational rehabilitation; strategic planning officer for Albuquerque Public Schools; CEO and executive director for the YWCA of Albuquerque; and a teacher for Washoe County Schools and the University of Nevada. She holds a doctorate degree from the University of New Mexico.

Sentance held his position with the U.S. Department of Education from 2001 to January of this year. He previously was a senior education advisor to the governor of Massachusetts; Massachusetts Secretary of Education; director of the governor’s legislative office; and an assistant Attorney General for Massachusetts. He holds law degrees from Duquesne University School of Law and Boston University School of Law.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.