Education Commissioner William N. Kirby of Texas has announced plans to retire after six years in the position.
Mr. Kirby, a 25-year veteran of the Texas Education Agency, headed the tea during a period of transition and oversaw a number of changes, including implementation of the state’s controversial no-pass, no-play rule governing student participation in high-school extracurricular activities.
Mr. Kirby, 50, said he would step down in January. He has no immediate plans, he said. Under the state’s new school-finance law, the Governor will appoint the next commissioner, who will take office in March.
Garrison Keillor, author and host of the long-running “Prairie Home Companion” show on public radio, has established a scholarship fund for prospective teachers in memory of his grandmother.
Mr. Keillor donated $10,000 to the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Foundation in his native Minnesota to begin the scholarship in memory of Dora Keillor, who taught in the township at the turn of the century. The first scholarship is expected to be awarded next year to a student who plans to become a teacher.
Mr. Keillor made the donation this summer after giving the commencement address at his alma mater, Anoka Senior High School, and attending his 30-year class reunion there.
