Martinez picks Florida reformer to be education secretary
Hanna Skandera
Gov.-elect Susana Martinez has nominated a woman who implemented education reforms in Florida to be New Mexico’s public education secretary.
Hanna Skandera “served as the deputy commissioner of education under (Florida) Governor Jeb Bush, where she promoted and implemented middle and high school reforms that instituted greater accountability, incentives for high performance and the end of social promotion,” a news release from Martinez’s transition team states.
“As a result of the education reforms put in place in Florida, reading scores improved dramatically across ethnic groups, with Hispanic students outperforming all students in 31 other states,” the release states.
Skandera has also served as a senior policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Education and undersecretary for education for the State of California.
“Hanna is a proven reformer who has successfully implemented education innovations and