Why MaryEllen Elia, the New York education commissioner, is surprisingly set to resign
Elia, the state's first woman education commissioner, submitted a resignation letter to the Board of Regents on Monday, a move that surprised the board.
"It has been my great pleasure and honor to serve the students and teachers of New York over the last four years as we work to advance equity and excellence in our education system," she wrote in the letter.
Elia, 70, was appointed to the position in 2015 and has overseen an overhaul of the troubled East Ramapo schools in Rockland County and more recently the struggling Rochester City School District.
Born in Rochester, Elia started her career in the Buffalo area, and later went on to head the Florida's Hillsborough County school district in the Tampa area, which was the eighth-largest district in the country.
Elia declined to comment specifically about her new job, saying it will be announced by the group after she leaves the state, but said it will "focus on supporting districts to help turn around schools."
In her resignation letter, Elia highlighted what she viewed as her successes over her career.
"As a former teacher, administrator and superintendent, I have devoted my entire 45-year career to putting children on a path to success both in school and beyond, and I am enormously grateful for the opportunity to lead the school system here in New York state," she wrote.
Elia's record: CONTINUE READING: Why MaryEllen Elia, the New York education commissioner, is surprisingly set to resign
