Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced three appointments Thursday, including a new deputy secretary of education who formerly worked as the deputy mayor of education in Washington, D.C.
De’Shawn Wright, the new education official, was responsible for the creation and implementation of a citywide “birth to 24” strategy in D.C. that includes early education, K-12, post-secondary education and workforce development, according to a governor’s office news release.
An alumnus of both James Madison University and New York University, Wright began his education career as a Teach for America Corps. member in 1998 in New York City middle schools.
After four years as a teacher, Wright worked in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Operations as a policy analyst, overseeing the operations, programs and services of city agencies within the Business Affairs Unit.
Wright returned to the New York City Department of Education in 2003 as the program manager for school and corporate partnerships in the Office of Strategic Partnerships and later worked in the Office of New Schools as well as the Office of the Chancellor.
He joined the senior leadership team for newly elected Newark Mayor Cory Booker in August 2006, serving initially as the city’s education advisor before becoming chief policy advisor to the mayor.
Additionally, Cuomo appointed Ian Rosenblum, who was formerly secretary of policy and planning in Pennsylvania, to the position of director of policy coordination. David Lobl, formerly director of public and government affairs at Human Care Services for Families and Children, Inc., will serve as community representative.
“Each of these individuals will bring years of experience, as well as new energy and fresh ideas to our efforts to rebuild New York state,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I look forward to working alongside these new members of the administration as we serve the people of this state.”
6 Comments
Note that he has FOUR years experience as a teacher.
And now he’s state deputy of education.
Disgraceful.
Four years in the classroom?? Teach for America grad.. no worries. Our state’s children are in good hands thanks to their only advocate’s policies. Hey by the way, anyone want to buy a bridge?
Bravo! Four years in the classroom… and the (Can’t) Teach for America experience…definitely does not qualify for this top position. He’s a politican not an educator. Now the state can be a “model for education reform” just like the city!
Would they put an intern in charge of the state health dept? I am sorry I asked… they probably would because it is easier to manipulate a person who has a “spins worth” of medical and/or educational knowledge rather true mastery. Cuomo like Bloomberg is putting his pupets all in a row
Wow – Wright might be a perfectly nice guy, but his resume is really troubling. There are SO many other qualified, thoughtful people out there who have been more deeply engaged in education. Yeesh. A huge opportunity and a very disappointing choice.
– NYC public school parent
Please follow up and let us know that he was an absolute wonder in the classroom. I can’t bear the thought of another highly ambitious young person who knows nothing about teaching having influence over the policies that affect my children.
Ian Rosenblum is a fantastic addition to the Cuomo administration.