CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
Vol. 43, No. 47
June 9, 2009
Board Will Interview Three Finalists for Commissioner of Education Post
The State Board of Education will meet in Jefferson City tomorrow, June 10, to interview three candidates for the Commissioner of Education’s post.
The board will convene at 8:15 Wednesday morning in Room 350 of the Truman Building, 301 West High St., Jefferson City. The board will go into closed session by 8:30 a.m., to conduct interviews throughout the day.
The three finalists recommended by the board-appointed search committee are:
Dr. Dennis Cheek, an educational consultant from Kennett Square, PA. He currently serves as a senior fellow for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, where he previously served four years as vice president for education. He has had a diverse career as a teacher and administrator in the U.S. and abroad; as a state education official in New York and Rhode Island; and as a scholar and author.
Dr. Chris L. (Wright) Nicastro, Florissant, has been superintendent of the Hazelwood School District (St. Louis County), Missouri’s sixth-largest school district, since 2002. She previously held administrative positions in the Riverview Gardens, Ritenour and Northwest R-I School Districts.
Dr. Bert Schulte, Columbia, is interim commissioner for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. He joined the state education agency in 2001 after many years as a public school administrator in Columbia and Jefferson City. He served as deputy commissioner of the Department from December 2003 until January 2009, when he was named interim commissioner.
The former Commissioner of Education, D. Kent King, died Jan. 7, 2009, after serving almost nine years as Missouri’s top official for public schools (K-12).
Following tomorrow’s interviews, the State Board of Education will continue to review the finalists’ applications, according to Dr. Russell Thompson, president of the State Board of Education. The board also has the option to call additional candidates for an interview, particularly if one of the finalists should elect not to proceed in the selection process, he said.
The State Board of Education will not make a decision this week about appointing a new Commissioner of Education.