Gov. Tina Kotek hired a new education adviser this week to replace the previous one who retired six months ago. lead State Teacher Licensing Department.
The new adviser, Rachel Moser, 37, is the former director of the Oregon Department of Education's Office of Education, Innovation and Improvement. She is the first person to join Kotek's cabinet. Exodus Four of last month's notable staff members. Moser's first day as governor will be Monday, April 22, said spokeswoman Elizabeth Shepherd.
Shepherd said Moser will coordinate efforts across the state's K-12 education system to support social and emotional investments for students and update the state's education funding formula, passed in 2019. He said he would focus on incorporating lessons learned from the Student Success Act, which Moser oversaw after the U.S. The legislation provides $2.35 billion every two years to schools to address student mental and behavioral health, class size, and achievement gaps among students.
Mr. Moser joined the state Department of Education in the fall of 2019 after two years in a school design and funding role with Boston Public Schools. Prior to that, he held several program coordinator and assistant positions. One of his is the National Education Association Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with the nation's largest teachers union, the National Education Association, and a Washington, D.C.-based literacy organization called Everybody Wins.
Moser holds a bachelor's degree in religion, sociology and anthropology from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and a master's degree in educational policy and management from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, according to his resume.
She will work closely with Kotek's Director of Educational Initiatives Pooja Bhatt, a consultant who also advised former Governor Kate Brown. Mr. Bhatt is tasked with promoting policies to improve student outcomes. These are typically measured as graduation rates, postsecondary enrollment rates, attendance and reading proficiency, and math and science comprehension measured by state and federal assessment tests.
Shepard said her annual salary will be about $270,000.
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