Governor names Dan French as new education secretary

ov. Phil Scott has selected Dan French, the former superintendent of the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union, to be Vermont’s education secretary.

French was most recently the school leadership program coordinator at Saint Michael’s College. He was president of the Vermont Superintendents Association from 2010 to 2012, and before that spent 10 years as a principal in the Northeast Kingdom.

“Dan sees the opportunity, and the necessity, we have to transform our system from good to great,” Scott said during a press conference Thursday afternoon announcing his selection.

“And he has the expertise to work with districts and local education leaders to re-center the system’s focus on expanding opportunities and improving outcomes for our kids in a way that’s sustainable and affordable for taxpayers.”

French said Act 46, the state’s school district consolidation law, had started down a path of “rightsizing” educational governance structures, but that there will still many systems and organizational challenges to be taken on.

“We must now leverage this work to transform our system into a world-class education system, a system that offers expanded learning opportunities for every Vermonter, and a system that construes to broader social and economic development in our state,” he said at the press conference.

French received a doctorate in education leadership from the University of Vermont, a master’s in educational administration from Plymouth State University and a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Connecticut.

Heather Bouchey, who has been the acting education secretary since the resignation of Rebecca Holcombe, did not apply for the job, Scott said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The State Board of Education selected three finalists for the position and sent the list to Scott for interviews and the appointment in late May, his office said.

Scott said that Holcombe resigned for personal reasons, but that account has been challenged by her husband and colleagues, who say that she disagreed with some of the governor’s policies. The governor’s push to cut school spending and impose a staff-to-student ratio has been particularly unpopular among educators.

Scott said at the start of the recruiting process for the new secretary that he hoped the State Board would think outside the box, perhaps looking for someone who had a management background, as opposed to strictly education.

That suggestion received immediate pushback, however, and Scott eventually settled on a traditional pick with French.

Holcombe immediately praised the selection on Twitter.

“He is a distinguished and knowledgeable leader with a good understanding of the state,” she wrote. “Congratulations, Dan!”

Editor’s note: This article will be updated with reactions from the education community.