PROVIDENCE – At its meeting tomorrow, the R.I. Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education is expected to appoint Deborah A. Gist, the state superintendent for education for the District of Columbia, to serve as Rhode Island’s next commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
“Deborah Gist has shown strong, innovative leadership in Washington, D.C.,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement today. “At a time when schools all across America need to get better to compete in the global economy, Deb will be a force for real and meaningful reform. I look forward to working with her and the State of Rhode Island to give our children the best education possible.”
As the district’s education superintendent, she oversees all public education in the nation’s capital, overseeing programs for more than 103,000 students: more than 71,000 in the district’s public schools and 59 charter schools; more than 22,000 in early childhood education programs; and more than 10,000 in adult and family education programs.
Gist previously had served the District of Columbia for three years as the state education officer, overseeing the merger of the State Education Office with several other city agencies to become the Office of the State Superintendent of Education; and for three years as the inaugural executive director of the citywide public service program Serve DC. Earlier in her career, she had served as a senior policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Education; founded the nationally recognized Hillsborough Reads literacy program in Florida; and taught for eight years in public elementary schools, twice being named teacher of the year.
A certified public manager – trained in a joint program of the District of Columbia and George Washington University – she completed a fellowship last year with the Broad Superintendents Academy, which trains leaders for executive roles in urban education.
Gist has a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where she also named a Kennedy Fellow and received the Littauer Fellowship for academic excellence and community service. She also holds a master of arts in elementary education, with an emphasis in curriculum, from the University of South Florida; and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Oklahoma.
“I have been greatly impressed by Ms. Gist’s energy and passion for reforming and improving education,” Robert G. Flanders Jr., chairman of the Board of Regents, said in announcing her selection as a successor to Peter McWalters. “Her commitment to raising the bar for all students and her diligence show me that she is an extremely hard-working person who will be a tireless reformer. I look forward to working with her as we continue on the journey of bringing all students to the high level of achievement that they will need to succeed in life,” Flanders said.
McWalters – the state’s commissioner of elementary and secondary education since 1992 – announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. (READ MORE) Finalists for his position were selected by a “talented and diverse” 12-member panel the Board of Regents named last July to lead the search for a successor. (READ MORE) At the time, the board predicted it would select a new commissioner “by March.”
The Board of Regents will meet in the Statehouse tomorrow at 3 p.m. to vote on her appointment. As required by state law, the governor will join the board as a voting member for this decision.
“I am pleased to welcome Ms. Gist to Rhode Island and congratulate her on this critical appointment as our state’s new commissioner of elementary and secondary education,” Gov. Donald L. Carcieri said today.
She “has a substantial background in urban education and is well-positioned to build upon the strong reform foundation that has been created through the leadership of Commissioner McWalters,” the governor continued. And “she is a committed educator who recognizes the importance of community as we accelerate our efforts to get all our students to proficiency and close the achievement gap that exists between our urban and suburban schools … to realize the promise of our current reform efforts and move all our students to the highest levels of performance.”
If approved, Gist will begin serving as commissioner on July 1.
Additional information about the R.I. Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education is available from the R.I. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at www.ride.ri.gov/regents.
