Latest news with #Edelblut
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ayotte nominates Caitlin Davis to be next education commissioner
A 15-year agency staffer is Gov. Kelly Ayotte's nominee to replace Frank Edelblut as the next commissioner of education. Ayotte nominates new education agency chief Caitlin Davis, a 15-year employee at the Department of Education, is Gov. Kelly Ayotte's choice to be the next commissioner of education. If confirmed by the Executive Council, she will replace Frank Edelblut who has served eight years in that post. Caitlin Davis of Concord most recently has served as the director of education analytics and resources in the Department of Education. 'Our state has made incredible strides toward helping every student reach his or her full potential, and today, I am proud to announce Caitlin Davis as my choice to continue this progress as commissioner of education,' Ayotte said in a statement. 'Caitlin will ensure New Hampshire schools remain innovative and forward-thinking, support our fantastic teachers and public schools, and strive for the highest standards of academic achievement. Caitlin's collaborative, data-driven approach will help us continue delivering a best-in-class education for all of New Hampshire's students.' Ayotte said in keeping with state law she will present her pick to the state Board of Education at its next meeting on Thursday. The Executive Council must then confirm the nomination. Last spring, Ayotte announced that she would not be naming Edelblut to a third, four-year term as head of the agency. Former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu made Edelblut one of his first high-profile appointments after Edelblut had run for governor and barely lost to Sununu in the 2016 Republican primary. Edelblut, state board chair endorse the pick Edelblut said Davis has the right combination of leadership skills and personal relationship building that will make her a good commissioner. 'She recently oversaw the successful implementation of a new, statewide student information system, and she was instrumental in the adoption of iPlatform, an online data dashboard that highlights student assessment performance, enrollment, attendance and more,' Edelblut said. 'Caitlin is a respected peer within the state's education field and a pivotal member of our leadership team. We are proud to have this nomination from within our own pool of talented professionals.' While commissioner, Edelblut led the campaign to create Education Freedom Accounts, an education choice option for parents to receive taxpayer funds to send their children to private, religious, alternative public or home school programs. He also promoted career-ready education programs with dual enrollment programs at community colleges and spearheaded a rewrite of the state's academic standards. As someone who home-schooled his own children, Edelbut was often a lightning rod for opposition from the state's education unions and many public school advocates. Edelbut often said his top priority was serving students and not the educational bureaucracy. During her tenure, Davis has overseen the department's Bureau of Assessment and Accountability, Bureau of Education Statistics, Bureau of Educational Opportunities, Bureau of School Finance and Bureau of Federal Compliance. She said the agency's greatest strength is its talented staff and seeks to promote a culture of collaboration, transparency and shared problem-solving. Board of Education Chairman Andrew Cline said Davis was a great choice. 'Caitlin's been a real asset for the department over the years and I'm very pleased that the governor has chosen to put the department in such capable hands,' Cline said. klandrigan@
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ayotte moving on from Edelblut, will name new education commissioner later this year
Mar. 13—Gov. Kelly Ayotte confirmed she'll be naming a new education commissioner later in 2025 after convincing Frank Edelblut of Wilton to stay on the job through the end of the school year. Edelblut's second four-year term expires on March 23, and with eight years on the job he's already the longest serving state education chief in the country. Legally, Ayotte could keep Edelblut in holdover status as long as she chooses, but she decided to negotiate a fixed exit date for him. "Commissioner Frank Edelblut has led the way in making our state's education system more innovative and forward-thinking and he has played a key role in expanding education opportunities for children," Ayotte said in a statement. "I thank Commissioner Edelblut for his service to our state and wish him all the best in his future endeavors." Ayotte said she'll now begin the search for a new education agency head. "The governor's office and Department of Education look forward to a strong and seamless transition," Ayotte said. Edelblut said he's been proud to bring to fruition education reform proposals such as the Learn Everywhere program, Open Enrollment Schools, Public Charter Schools and Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs). The state Board of Education also completed — at Edelblut's urging — the rewriting of its education standards that displeased many local education officials who charged that they could end up sacrificing quality. "While there is still work ahead, I look forward to partnering with Governor Ayotte to ensure the department remains steadfast in its vision to 'Live Free and Learn,'" Edelblut said in his own statement. The timing means Edelblut will remain on the job while Ayotte seeks to expand access to EFAs and completes work on the next two-year state budget. Former Gov. Chris Sununu nominated Edelblut for education commissioner months after he had narrowly defeated Edelblut in his first Republican primary for governor in 2016. Four years later, Sununu convinced the Executive Council to grant Edelblut another four-year term. Edelblut has been a lightning rod for opposition not only from Democratic legislators but also leaders of the state's education unions along with trade associations that represent local school boards and local school administrators. Edelblut was popular, however, among the GOP-led Executive Council along with Republican legislative leaders. klandrigan@
Boston Globe
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Ayotte to replace New Hampshire's top education official
Ayotte, a fellow proponent of school choice who took office in January, said Edelblut deserves credit for spending the past eight years making New Hampshire schools 'more innovative and forward-thinking.' She also praised his focus on expanding the variety of educational opportunities available to families in the state. Advertisement 'My office will launch a search for our next Education Commissioner who will build on this momentum and further our goal of improving our standards and academic performance, supporting our incredible teachers, and delivering a best-in-class education for every child in New Hampshire,' Ayotte said in a statement. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up Edelblut, 63, said in the same statement that he will leave the New Hampshire Department of Education in a good spot, touting his work to support not only traditional public education but also public charter schools, private schools, home education, 'microschools,' and the state's 'With a strong educational foundation already in place, our state is well-positioned for continued growth,' he said. 'I am deeply grateful to my colleagues across New Hampshire and the nation who have joined me in expanding pathways to education and advancing learner-centered opportunities.' Edelblut, a businessman, was first appointed as education commissioner in 2017 by Governor Christopher T. Sununu, who had just beaten him by less than 1 percentage point in the GOP's 2016 gubernatorial primary. Edelblut, who was reappointed in 2021, will stay on through the remainder of the school year 'in holdover status,' Ayotte's office said. Advertisement Edelblut was routinely criticized by Democrats, who argue the Education Freedom Account program inappropriately diverts taxpayer money away from the state's public schools. Edelblut, whose own seven children were homeschooled, has also faced criticism for some of the ways he speaks to and about public school teachers and their handling of sensitive topics, particularly those pertaining to race and sexuality. In 2021, Edelblut delivered a speech to what Sununu called a 'fringe group' with a history of supporting 'anti-government actions.' Sununu said it was ' In 2022, Edelblut published In 2023, Edelblut successfully lobbied the state Board of Education to In 2024, Edelblut published Advertisement Although he opted not to run for governor again in the 2024 cycle, Edelblut spoke at the campaign kickoff event for former New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse, who lost to Ayotte in the GOP primary. Steven Porter can be reached at
Boston Globe
30-01-2025
- Science
- Boston Globe
N.H. students buck national trend in latest Nation's Report Card
Fourth- and eighth-graders took the test in reading and math. In reading, both groups scored in the top 10 percent of the nation. In math scores, New Hampshire fourth-graders were in the top 12 percent, while eighth-graders were in the top 20 percent. Advertisement New Hampshire's Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a statement the results show that New Hampshire students are getting back on track after disruptions to education and learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up 'While we like the direction the scores are heading, especially since New Hampshire has been able to buck the national trends, we would still like to see bigger gains across the board,' he said. Edelblut said higher performing students are making gains, which masks how disadvantaged and low-performing students continue to lose ground. Not all students are tested. A 'We must work to close that gap for the benefit of all students,' he said. Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the US Department of Education that conducts education data analysis, said in a statement that New Hampshire stands out because it is scoring above the national average in both grades and subjects. 'The Granite State's NAEP results are also encouraging as it has not experienced the pervasive declines in reading that we've seen in the last two years,' she said. Even though fourth- and eighth-graders scored in the top 10 percent of the nation for reading, fourth grade scores went down slightly compared to 2022. Math scores increased for both grade levels. Advertisement Christina Pretorius, policy director at Reaching Higher NH, a nonprofit education think tank, said the trends are encouraging. 'Our students continue to do well in math, reading, and science, and have made significant gains since the pandemic,' she said. She said federal pandemic relief funding has helped schools provide one-on-one support for students through math and reading specialists, in addition to mental and emotional health support, and updated technology. While she said those efforts are paying off, there's no indication the funding will be renewed, which leaves a question about what comes next, and whether the state will sustain those investments. Here's how New Hampshire students compare to neighboring Massachusetts and to the rest of the nation: 4th Grade Reading N.H. Score: 221 N.H. Proficiency Rate: 36 percent National Score: 214 National Proficiency Rate: 31 percent Mass. Score: 225 Mass. Proficiency Rate: 40 percent 4th Grade Math N.H. Score: 242 N.H. Proficiency Rate: 43 percent National Score: 237 National Proficiency Rate: 39 percent Mass. Score: 246 Mass. Proficiency Rate: 51 percent 8th Grade Reading N.H. Score: 264 N.H. Proficiency Rate: 34 percent National Score: 257 National Proficiency Rate: 30 percent Mass. Score: 268 Mass. Proficiency Rate: 40 percent 8th Grade Math N.H. Score: 280 N.H. Proficiency Rate: 32 percent National Score: 272 National Proficiency Rate: 28 percent Mass. Score: 283 Mass. Proficiency Rate: 37 percent A version of this story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, Amanda Gokee can be reached at
