Governor Peter Shumlin and the chair of the state Board of Education say they plan to launch a national search for an Education Secretary, after a Vermont law was passed that gives the governor the authority to make that appointment.
Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca says he plans to apply for the post.
Vermont lawmakers passed legislation that elevates the state’s chief education official from a commissioner to a Cabinet-level secretary.
In the past, the education commissioner has been appointed by the state board of education. The new law calls for an education secretary who would be appointed by - and report to – the governor.