The current deputy commissioner of education in Missouri has been promoted to the top position in the department.
Dr. Margaret Vandeven will replace Chris Nicastro, who is retiring at the end of the year.
“I am honored to serve as Missouri’s Commissioner of Education, and I am committed to and focused on doing what’s right for the children of Missouri,” Vandeven said in a news release.
The State Board of Education recently announced five finalists for the position, a list that included three with ties to the Ozarks.
Vandeven, from O’Fallon, has spent the last nine years in the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). She brings 24 years of education experience to her new position, the release states.
A primary focus for Dr. Vandeven will be Missouri’s Top 10 by 20 initiative, a major improvement effort that aims for student achievement in Missouri to rank among the top 10 states by 2020.
“We believe in the positive impact of the Top 10 by 20 plan on Missouri’s children,” said State Board President Peter Herschend. “We strongly believe that Dr. Margie Vandeven is the right person to accomplish the goals of the plan.”
Gov. Jay Nixon released the following statement upon Vandeven's appointment:
"Missouri’s Commissioner of Education plays a critical role in helping to ensure that all children in our state have the opportunity to go to a good public school where they will learn the skills and knowledge they need to find success in college or career. I look forward to working with Dr. Vandeven, educators and school leaders, and the Missouri General Assembly as we move forward toward our shared goal of continuing to improve the quality of education for students in every community.”
Vandeven will begin her duties on Jan. 1. She will serve the state as the sixth commissioner of education.