Duane T. Magee to serve as Iowa Department of Education's interim director

Duane T. Magee, executive director of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, is Gov. Terry Branstad's choice to temporarily helm the Department of Education as he searches to replace departing Director Jason Glass.

Magee, whom Albrecht said was the governor's first choice for the interim role, will take over beginning Monday, June 24. No official end date has been set but Tim Albrecht, communications director for the governor's office, said Gov. Branstad hopes to name a new permanent director for the department by late July or early August. Until then, Magee will also continue in his position with the Board of Educational Examiners.

"I think, given the fact that there's a great staff at the (board) and a great staff at the (department), other people are going to have to help with the transition process and I'm fully confident that they'll be able to do that," he said. "The things that have to be done by the director and the executive director will be done by me. Some of the things that are more discretionary, I'll work with other folks."

Both Magee and Albrecht named implementing the recently passed education reform as one of the interim director's duties.

Albrecht said that Magee is not a candidate in the nationwide search underway to replace Glass, who announced in May that he is leaving the department to serve as the superintendent of the Eagle County School District in Eagle, Colo. beginning Monday, July 1.