INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Department of Education fired 34 employees this week as the department began its transition under the new Superintendent Jennifer McCormick.
The terminations were reportedly because of ‘shifting priorities’ in the department. Another 26 people have resigned.
The department employs around 250 people.
A statement from the department said that layoffs like this are normal during any government transition.
Earlier this week, McCormick announced her cabinet, directors and expert hires.
“I am thrilled to have such a talented, solid team. Each person brings a unique skill set and area of expertise to the DOE, and we are united in our focus on the students of Indiana. I look forward to what we will accomplish with such a stellar team.”
Dr. Lee Ann Kwiatkowski will serve as Chief of Staff, and Dr. Mark Keen will serve as Senior Advisor. They will be joined by:
CABINET:
Marsha Bugalla has been chosen as General Counsel. Bugalla has over 20 years of experience in labor and employment, litigation, and medical malpractice. She most recently served at Frost Brown Todd as general counsel representing school districts in litigation and special education.
Kent Hatcher has been chosen to serve as the Chief Financial Officer. Hatcher has over 20 years of experience in the finance field. Most recently, he served as the CFO for the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board.
Returning to the DOE (2007-2013), Dr. John Keller has been selected to serve as the Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Keller most recently served as the Director of eLearning for MSD of Warren Township. He has served as an adjunct professor for various universities including IUPUI and recently completed five years as a board member for the International Society for Technology in Education.
Dr. Scott Syverson has been selected as the Chief Talent Officer. Dr. Syverson has 25 years of experience in the educational field where he has served as a teacher, school administrator, and executive director. He most recently served as the Director for The New Teacher Project (TNTP).
Kelly Wittman has been selected as the Chief Academic Officer. She has spent 26 years as an educator with the last 14 years as a building level administrator. Wittman has worked in urban education with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Ohio and has served as principal at Yorktown High School for 10 years.
DIRECTORS:
Dr. Addie Angelov has been chosen to serve as the Director of Research. Dr. Angelov has been an Indiana educator for 18 years. Most recently, she was the Senior Director of Exceptional Ed at Goodwill Education Initiatives and Affiliated Associate Professor at the University of Indianapolis.
Michael Brown has been selected as the Legislative Affairs Director after serving 7 years with the General Assembly. Brown is a 2015 graduate from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law and most recently served as a legislative assistant for the Indiana State Senate.
Molly Deuberry has been chosen as the Director of Communications. Deuberry has nearly 15 years of communications experience in government and non-profit sectors. Most recently, she served as the president of an Indianapolis-based non-profit.
Patrick McAlister has been selected as the Director of Policy. He worked most recently as the Director of Policy for Teach Plus Indiana, an organization dedicated to expanding teacher leadership in the classroom and at the policy table. In addition to being an education policy advocate, McAlister also has teaching experience.
EXPERT:
Returning to the DOE (1999-2013), Wes Bruce will be contracting with the Department as the Assessment and Accountability expert. He serves as an educational consultant and has advised Illinois, New York, and Oklahoma with their assessment and accountability needs. During his previous tenure at the DOE, Bruce worked as Director of Assessment as well as Assistant Superintendent.
