The superintendent of the Franklin West Supervisory Union has been named the state’s new education commissioner.
The state Board of Education chose 51-year-old Armando Vilaseca to replace Richard Cate, who left his $119,000-a-year position to take a job at the University of Vermont last June. The vote was 6 to 2.
Vilaseca, who has spent 29 years in Vermont schools as a teacher, principal and superintendent, was chosen over Deputy Education Commissioner Brian O’Regan, and Betty Sternberg, a former education commissioner in Connecticut.
Board Chairman Tom James says Vilaseca has a reputation for innovating and shows a willingness to take reasonable risk to improve education for all students.
He takes over Jan. 19.