DOVER, Del. (AP/WBOC)- The executive director of a coalition to improve education has been confirmed as Delaware's next head of public schools.
The state Senate confirmed Mark Murphy as the state education secretary on Wednesday. Gov. Jack Markell nominated Murphy last month to succeed Lillian Lowery, who is leaving Delaware to take over as the superintendent of Maryland's public schools.
"The next secretary needs to be able to hit the ground running, needs to understand our education improvement efforts, and needs first-hand experience working as teacher and school leader. Those criteria alone would make Mark a great choice," Markell said during last month's nomination announcement. "He has a teacher's heart when it comes to caring for students, a principal's perspective in motivating teams to succeed, and a rigorous data-driven approach to discovering what works to reward success."
As head of the Wilmington-based Vision Network, Murphy has worked with 26 public schools in Delaware to help implement the state's Race to the Top reforms and the state's common core standards initiative.
Murphy began his education career as a teacher and principal at public schools in Maryland.
