School & District Management

State Chiefs’ Roster Beset by Turnovers

By Sean Cavanagh — July 12, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

If you are a former state schools chief who was recently voted out, tactfully eased out, or unceremoniously pushed out of office, take heart. You weren’t alone on your way out the door.

So far this year, 19 states have seen new schools chiefs come into office, and five other states are currently conducting searches for new leaders, according to the Council of Chief State School Officers, which says the turnover this year has been unprecedented.

Why the heavy churn? In a few cases, like that of longtime Maryland Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick, officeholders simply decided to retire.

Some turnover can be tied to last fall’s elections, which featured seven state schools chiefs’ races on the ballot, and which saw Republicans wrest control of a majority of governor’s offices and a record number of state legislative seats. Governors often try to install their own picks as state chiefs, or arrange to have their appointees to state boards of education do it for them. After all, having an ideologically like-minded person in the education job makes it easier to govern—particularly if you’re a governor with a controversial agenda.

But changeovers can lead to ill will. A few months after Florida Gov. Rick Scott took office, for instance, Commissioner of Education Eric J. Smith announced he would resign, a move that drew an angry response from the state school board’s then-chairman. The former chairman implied that the governor, a Republican, had shunned Mr. Smith and was trying to control the board’s hiring of a replacement.

On June 21, the Florida’s State board made its selection, choosing Gerard Robinson, Virginia’s secretary of education, as the next commissioner.

In Ohio, state Superintendent of Education Deborah Delisle announced in March that she would resign, after she said she was pressured to do so by Republican Gov. John Kasich’s staff.

Don’t be surprised to see more turnover in the months ahead, including some voluntary resignations. With state lawmakers across the nation pushing for major, and in many cases unpopular, changes in school policy—in some cases paired with K-12 budget cuts—these aren’t the easiest times to be a state schools chief.

A version of this article appeared in the July 13, 2011 edition of Education Week as State Chiefs’ Roster Beset by Turnovers

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Sometimes Principals Need to Make Big Changes. Here’s How to Get Them to Stick
School leaders need their community to take a leap of faith with them. But how do they build trust and conviction?
8 min read
Image of a leader reflecting on past and future.
akindo/DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management A New Study Details Gender and Racial Disparities in the Superintendent's Office
Women and people of color are less likely than their white male counterparts to be appointed superintendent directly from a principal post.
6 min read
A conceptual image of a female being paid less than a male.
hyejin kang/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Late Arrivals, Steep Costs: Why Some Districts Ditch Third-Party Bus Companies
Districts are facing a host of transportation challenges. Some have addressed them by deciding to bring buses back in house.
6 min read
School buses parked in Helena, Mont., ahead of the beginning of the school year on Aug. 20, 2021.
Some districts are pulling back on decisions to outsource bus services in an effort to save money and improve service.
Iris Samuels/AP
School & District Management Rising Tensions From Israel-Hamas War Are Seeping Into Schools
As effects of the war reverberate in school communities, schools have federal responsibilities to create discrimination-free environments.
5 min read
People gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vt., Saturday, Nov. 25. The three students were being treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and one faces a long recovery because of a spinal injury, a family member said.
People gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vt., Saturday, Nov. 25. Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war are playing out in schools and colleges across the country, including some K-12 schools.
Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP