A day after she received glowing, bipartisan support, the Executive Council unanimously confirmed Caitlin Davis on Wednesday to serve as the state’s next education commissioner.
Davis succeeds Frank Edelblut, a conservative outsider who prioritized establishing non-public school options and waded into culture war issues during his eight-year term.
Davis, a 15-year veteran of the Department of Education, vowed at her confirmation hearing on Tuesday to steer the department in another direction, pledging to keep politics out of her decision-making. Her commitment to both strengthening public education and to preserving alternative options, combined with her personal attributes, won her support from lawmakers of both parties, superintendents, and one of the state’s largest teachers’ unions.
“I’m very hopeful that this will be the start of a new chapter for the Department of Education,” Karen Liot Hill, the lone Democrat on the Executive Council, said as Davis was confirmed.
Davis joined the department as an auditor and rose through the ranks, serving as the director of education analytics and resources for the past eight years. In that role, she frequently appeared before lawmakers to present departmental reports and was known for being able to answer even the most arcane of questions, lawmakers said. She said she will bring a background in data and financial management to the top education position.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte nominated Davis to replace Edelblut in June.
“Caitlin Davis’s collaborative, data-driven approach and relationships with school leaders, parents, and members of the Legislature from across our state will help ensure we keep delivering a best-in-class education for all of New Hampshire’s students,” she said in a statement.
Jeremy Margolis can be contacted at jmargolis@cmonitor.com.
