Republican Gov.-elect Chris Sununu will have considerable power to shape the direction of public education with four key appointments during his first months in office.
Sununu takes office in January as New Hampshire's first Republican governor in a dozen years. He'll immediately have three appointments to the seven-member State Board of Education, which approves education standards and charter school applications. He'll also choose a commissioner of education in March when Commissioner Virginia Barry's term ends.
Who he picks for the jobs could determine whether New Hampshire continues exploring competency-based education, scraps Common Core and opens more charter schools. And with the power to sign and veto legislation, he'll decide on issues such as funding for full-day kindergarten and whether students can opt out of standardized tests.
