This week, Governor LePage notified the State Board of Education that he would like to nominate me as his permanent Education Commissioner.
While most gubernatorial Commissioner appointments go directly to the legislative committee of jurisdiction, State statute requires the Governor’s nomination for Education Commissioner be first reviewed by the State Board of Education.The State Board plans to interview me at its next regular meeting on Jan. 15, something traditionally done in executive session. The Chair, Nancy Perkins, will then deliver the Board’s written appraisal of my strengths and weaknesses within 10 days to the Governor, who will consider the feedback before formally posting the nomination for the Legislature’s consideration, with votes to follow in the Education Committee and in the Senate.
I am honored to be asked by Governor LePage to continue to lead the Maine DOE, and optimistic I’ll be confirmed as Commissioner in the coming weeks.
More importantly, I am proud of the work the Department has done over the past four months and more so, by the collaborative way in which we are doing it. Our team approach including increased cross-Departmental communication and coordination is making us a stronger agency, and I continue to hear positive feedback from the floor and the field.
As always, please let us know how we can better serve you.