Gov.-elect Branstad appoints Department of Education director

Gov.-elect Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov.-elect Kim Reynolds named Jason E. Glass as the new director of the Iowa Department of Education.

“My goal is to make Iowa's schools the best in the country, and I have found the individual who will help our state achieve this objective,” Gov.-elect Branstad said during a press conference Wednesday. “Jason is a reform-minded leader for this department, and someone who will bring a strong sense of accountability to the position. He is a collaborator, and all of Iowa's students, teachers and parents will benefit with Jason as director.”

Glass, 39, is the senior director for human capital strategy at Battelle for Kids, where he provides policy leadership and technical consulting to state departments of education and school districts in implementing comprehensive human capital strategies, including strategic compensation systems, evaluation systems and the use of multiple measures to improve teaching effectiveness and student learning.

His other experience includes director of human resources for Eagle County Schools of more than 900 district employees and he spent a number of years working within the Colorado Department of Education.

He holds a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science, and a Master's in both Education and Political Science, all from the University of Kentucky. He is scheduled to receive his PhD in Education from Seton Hall University in March.

“I feel very fortunate to accept this position in a state where education has been, and continues to be, a priority,” Glass said. “To all the educators in Iowa, you have my admiration and I honor your noble service in this sacred and important work. Our efforts to meet the challenge of this global economy and post-industrial era must come on two fronts, innovation and improvement. I pledge to work closely with Iowa's policy makers, community leaders, and most importantly its talented and dedicated educators in meeting the challenges before us.”

Glass and his wife, Sarah, a teacher in the Columbus, OH, area, will be relocating to Des Moines in January.