Deputy Mayor for Education De’Shawn Wright is leaving his post to become the highest education official in New York, the mayor’s office announced.
His chief of staff, Jennifer Leonard, will fill his post through at least this school year as the interim deputy mayor.
“De’Shawn is a brilliant educational innovator and a tireless public servant, and our loss is definitely New York’s gain,” Mayor Gray said. “He has done a spectacular job serving the children, families and educators of the District of Columbia, and we will miss his extraordinary gifts sorely.”
Wright’s name became quite familiar to District parents and educators earlier this year when his office released a study recommending that three dozen schools be shut down or turned around, in the case of D.C. Public Schools, as charter schools. Although DCPS school closures are ultimately the choice of DCPS, Wright has guided much of that process and met with parent groups throughout the city.
The list of school closures is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
