Dive Brief:
- Maine Gov. Paul LePage announced Thursday that he will not nominate a new education commissioner, revealing instead that he will serve as spokesman and leader of the state's Department of Education himself.
- The current acting commissioner of education William Beardsley will remain with the department until his current term expires, at which point he will move into a position of deputy commissioner.
- Education experts in the state, including Maine Education Association President Lois Kilby Chesley, are criticizing the move, saying LePage doesn't take the position of education commissioner seriously.
Dive Insight:
LePage's move may very well be unprecedented. In terms of the possible consequences it might have for the state's education system, it's hard to predict where his priorities might lay. He has, however, openly advocated for charter schools, so the seven currently operating in Maine could see increased attention, more funding, or expansion as a result.
But it's also unclear how seriously LePage will be taken. He's already under fire for offensive comments, including a racially-charged remark about the state's heroin problem. Democrats in the state, according to the Atlantic, have accused LePage of "making a mockery of the role of [education] commissioner," among other things.
One issue LePage will likely have to contend with is the state's high opt-out rate when it comes to standardized testing.