Update, 2:15 p.m. Wednesday:
Missouri's next education commissioner, Margaret Vandeven, says the provisionally-accredited Kansas City Public Schools will need to continue to make progress to regain full standing with the state.
"We're monitoring the situation," says Vandeven, a current deputy education commissioner who will take over as Missouri's schools chief early next year. "We certainly have our regional team working with the school district ... and we just need to continue to see improvement at the individual child level in that district."
Vandeven's predecessor, Chris Nicastro, was at times a controversial figure. She butted heads with Kansas City education officials who felt she dragged her feet on granting the district provisional accreditation even as test scores improved.
Vandeven says the conversation needs to be about doing the right thing for kids.
"My focus will be on building the relationships with the educators in our state and really keeping the focus on children," she says.
Vandeven, the only internal candidate, was selected unanimously from a panel of five finalists.
"She was a good choice in a good field of candidates," State Board President Peter Herschend says.
The original post continues below.
The Missouri State Board of Education has selected Dr. Margaret Vandeven as the state's next education commissioner.
She'll take over from Chris Nicastro on Jan. 1.
Nicastro announced in September that she would retire at the end of this year.
Vandeven has worked for the Missouri Department of Education for nine years and currently serves as the deputy commissioner for learning services. She previously taught English language arts in Missouri and Maryland schools.
State education fficials have taken some heat this month for a perceivedlack of diversity in the commissioner search.
