Nominee a “Proven Reformer”
Albuquerque – Today, Governor-elect Susana Martinez nominated Hanna Skandera to serve as her secretary of the Public Education Department. Skandera has served as the Deputy Commissioner of Education under Governor Jeb Bush, where she promoted and implemented middle and high school reforms that instituted greater accountability, incentives for high performance and the end of social promotion. As a result of the education reforms put in place in Florida, reading scores improved dramatically across ethnic groups with Hispanic students outperforming all students in 31 other states.
In nominating Skandera, Governor-elect Susana Martinez stated, “Hanna is a proven reformer who has successfully implemented education innovations and achievement-based reforms for two of our nation’s governors. She shares my belief that we must focus on implementing reforms that improve student achievement here in New Mexico, rather than simply throwing more money at a failed system.”
Skandera has also served as an undersecretary of education for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and most recently as the deputy chief of staff and senior policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Education. Her career as an educator began during college, where she worked with Catholic Charities to develop peer education programs and life skills curricula that were used throughout the U.S. She is a graduate of Sonoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business and earned her Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University, where she graduated first in her class.
In response to her nomination as the secretary of the Public Education Department, Skandera said, “It will be a privilege to serve in Governor-elect Martinez’s administration. She has directed me to reform a system that has failed young New Mexicans and we will do so by raising standards, rewarding excellence and re-focusing our attention on classroom achievement. The foundation for these bold changes is an approach to education that puts students first.”