Beverly Perdue, the Democratic governor of North Carolina, was tapped by her colleagues today to serve as the chair of the Southern Regional Education Board for the next year.
Gov. Perdue, a former classroom teacher with a doctorate in education, (how many folks with those credentials have made it into governor’s offices?) will emphasize college completion rates and career readiness among the 16 member states of SREB, which stretch from Texas to Delaware. She has orchestrated a similar policy agenda in North Carolina since becoming governor, according to SREB. The multi-state board has brought particular focus to this issue and released a report earlier this spring highlighting how college completion rates are even worse than high school graduation rates.
Gov. Perdue succeeds West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III as chair of SREB. Gov. Manchin will assume the chairmanship of the National Governors Association next month.
