Steve Paine, a former state schools chief in West Virginia, is getting a second stint in that post. Paine served from 2005 until his retirement in January 2011 at age 55. After that, he worked in the private sector. He currently is the interim superintendent of the Wayne County schools in West Virginia.
Kunjan Narechania has been named the superintendent of the Louisiana Recovery School District. She will continue in her role as an assistant state superintendent of education. She takes over from Patrick Dobard, who is leaving to become the CEO of New Schools for New Orleans, a nonprofit group that supports that city’s charter schools. He served as RSD superintendent for five years.
Chris Powers will serve as the next executive director of the TESOL International Association, the organization for teachers who specialize in working with English-learners. Its current executive director, Rosa Aronson, will step down this spring, after seven years at the helm. Powers is the director of the Education Abroad Programs Division at the Institute of International Education, where he oversees efforts that support language education from kindergarten through graduate school in 37 countries.
Rachel Skerrit, a former student and teacher at Boston Latin School has been named its new headmaster—the first person of color to lead the prominent high school. She currently works as the deputy chief of leadership development for the District of Columbia public schools. Boston Latin, the first public school in the United States, has struggled recently over allegations of racial discrimination.