Carmen Ayala, a 30-year Illinois public schools veteran, has been named superintendent for the state.
Ayala had been superintendent of the Berwyn North school district. She previously served as a teacher, director of bilingual services, and assistant superintendent in Illinois schools.
John Stocks will step down as the executive director of the National Education Association as soon as a replacement can be found.
The executive director is the chief of staff, overseeing all the day-to-day operations of the teachers’ union. Stocks has held the position since 2011, after a 21-year career working for the NEA and the Wisconsin Education Association Council.