(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) is accepting nominations for the 2026 Karem Award for Excellence in Education Policy. The award, named for former board chair David Karem, recognizes a state policymaker, education leader or citizen who has made notable, state-level contributions to the improvement of Kentucky’s public education system.
Criteria for the award include:
- Demonstrated leadership in policy development, passage or implementation resulting in increased educational opportunities for students;
- Improved educational, postsecondary or workforce outcomes for students; or
- Increased capacity of teachers or school staff to better meet the academic, social or emotional needs of Kentucky students.
Karem served on the KBE from 2009 to 2016 and from December 2019 to April 2020. He served on education committees in the House and Senate for all but six months of his 33 years in the Kentucky General Assembly. During his tenure in public office, Karem championed the passage of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) and led the efforts for the 4% school tax levy by school districts.
Nominations for the 2026 Karem Award for Excellence in Education Policy, which will be accepted online, are open through 3 p.m. ET on March 10. The award will be presented at the KBE’s June meeting.
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