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Colorado Board of Education Appoints New Commissioner of Education

Education Commissioner Robert Hammond
Photo Courtesy of The Colorado Department of Education
Education Commissioner Robert Hammond

The Colorado Board of education has officially appointed the state's new education commissioner.

The sole finalist for the job, Robert Hammond, was unanimously appointed to the post on Wednesday.  Hammond has been filling in as commissioner since December after Commissioner Dwight Jones left to head the Las Vegas school system.  Board of Education Chair, Bob Schaffer, says Hammond quickly rose to the top of the candidate list, in part, because of his experience with education finances.

“And at this particular point in time, when school finance is the number one issue that the state is dealing with given current budget conditions and fiscal realities for the state, having somebody who knows where every dollar is is exactly what we need,” says Schaffer.

Hammond says he wants to emphasize the state's ``educational reform agenda'' and focus on accountability, educator effectiveness, standards and support.  He says he believes the agenda will minimize achievement gaps associated with race and income and better prepare students for College and careers.

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