Board Begins Education Secretary Search

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The State Board of Education has launched its national search for Vermont’s first secretary of education.

Board chair Stephan Morse says it’s an awkward situation because the state’s current education commissioner, Armando Vilaseca, must compete with other applicants to keep his job.

Lawmakers this year passed a bill that elevates the state’s education commissioner to a cabinet level secretary position.

The change was made to give a governor more input in the development of education policies. But where the governor appoints every other member of the cabinet, a different process will be used to select the education secretary.

In this case, the State Board of Education will recommend three people for the governor to consider.

Stephan Morse is the chair of the Board. He says a special search committee has started its work.

"We will advertise and post nationally and probably advertise more in Vermont itself. I think it’s incumbent upon us to see what’s out there, to make sure we give the governor three solid recommendations."

And Morse says the ideal candidate will have a good working knowledge of Vermont’s education policies.

"He or she certainly needs to be able to get out and talk with educators, talk with students, talk with parents and be able to understand the history of education in Vermont and how it might be made better."

Armando Vilaseca is the current commissioner of education and he says he’ll be applying for the new position.

"As someone who’s given 30 plus years of my life to education in Vermont I’m interested in keeping myself involved with education in whatever capacity that I could support the Governor and the state."

Education Board Chair Morse says he’s pleased that Vilsaseca is applying for the job but he says the process is uncomfortable for everyone.

"It’s very awkward and awkward for the board, certainly awkward for the commissioner and I would presume awkward for the governor," said Morse. "And it’s something that maybe we were a little insensitive about when we were crafting the legislation but we didn’t and the rules are the rules and thankfully he’s agreed to be a candidate."

Morse says he hopes to present three names to governor by the end of the year.

 

 

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