An announcement from Kevin McHenry, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Assistant Commissioner, regarding operational changes to State Library Services and the Charter Center —
I’d like to share some important news about some operational changes at MDE. Effective today, State Library Services and the Charter Center will now operate under the divisional leadership of Jennifer Nelson. This change was made in order to better meet the business needs of our customers and MDE.
The Charter Center has undertaken several new initiatives in the last couple of years, implementing a first of its kind authorizer evaluation system, a redesigned and transparent complaint process, as well as continued implementation of our federal charter school grant which helps to recognize high-quality charter schools. With all of these changes, now is a perfect time to take a step back and evaluate how we continue to support the work moving forward.
Based on her exemplary work in State Library Services, which led to the division receiving a Governor’s Continuous Improvement Award, I am confident Jennifer will provide excellent leadership and guidance in her expanded role. Our ongoing continuous improvement efforts will allow us to further streamline and align our support to stakeholders and schools and develop new strategies to ensure service delivery in the most cost-effective and efficient manner possible.
As always, we thank you for the work you do in support of our students, educators and stakeholders.
— Kevin McHenry, Assistant Commissioner