Above, Gov. Kelly Ayotte and members of the Executive Council enjoyed a sing along during their meeting in Pittsburg Wednesday. The band leading the song is “Best for Last.” PAULA TRACY video

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

PITTSBURG – Caitlin Davis has been confirmed to be the next state Commissioner of Education but the confirmation of Taylor Caswell to a third term as commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs was withdrawn at the last minute by Gov. Kelly Ayotte.

Above, The crowd attending the council meeting Wednesday at the Pittsburg Ridge Runner Club House Wednesday. PAULA TRACY photo

The Governor and Executive Council meeting was attended by more than 200 North Country people at the Pittsburg Ridge Runner Club House in Pittsburg on Wednesday. During the summer, each elected member of the Executive Council hosts a meeting in his or her district. Wednesday, it was Joe Kenney’s turn.

Executive Councilor Janet Stevens, R-Rye, asked why Caswell’s confirmation was not going forward. Ayotte said, “we can talk about it later.”

But it appeared that at least three councilors were not supporting a third term for Caswell, of Littleton.

Caswell, who is well-regarded by many in the state’s business community and was key to recovery efforts after COVID-19.

By law, he can remain in holdover status for as long as six months without a vote. By removing the confirmation from the list, the governor can still bring it forward if there are adequate votes to support confirmation.

Above, Taylor Caswell is pictured with Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill at Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting. Paula Tracy photo

DAVIS CONFIRMED

The vote for Davis was unanimous by the five members of the Executive Council. 

Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, said she enjoyed the praise for Davis from all corners at a public hearing Tuesday in which 29 people spoke in favor of her nomination and there was no one who spoke against it. She succeeds Frank Edelblut who resigned the post he has held since 2017.

Liot Hill said Davis is “very qualified. I am very hopeful this will be a new start for the Department of Education.”

Executive Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester, agreed and said, “I really think she will be a wonderful commissioner.” He said he feels she will protect parents and all forms of schools. Politics, he said, is not her role and she understands that.

Executive Councilor David Wheeler, R-Milford, said he wanted to take a minute to thank Edelblut for his “innovative approaches” to education and expanding Freedom Education Accounts.

Ayotte said she too wanted to echo that thanks and said, “the state is deeply appreciative.” He was in attendance for the meeting. 

Davis will be in the position for the next four years.

Davis is not a “political” nomination like Edelblut was for former Gov. Chris Sununu but is a 15-year veteran of the department who knows its workings and has contacts throughout the state, her supporters said.

Edelblut was nominated by Sununu after Sununu beat Edelblut in the Republican primary for governor but was opposed by many Democrats and education unions then and throughout his tenure for his positions on expanding Education Freedom Accounts and other matters.

In nominating Davis, the governor said she will “ensure New Hampshire schools remain innovative and forward-thinking, support our fantastic teachers and public schools, and strive for the highest standards of academic achievement. Caitlin’s collaborative, data-driven approach will help us continue delivering a best-in-class education for all of New Hampshire’s students.”

Edelblut said Davis recently oversaw the successful implementation of a new, statewide student information system, and she was instrumental in the adoption of iPlatform, an online data dashboard that highlights student assessment performance, enrollment, and attendance. 

He said she is a respected peer within the state’s education field and a pivotal member of his leadership team. 

“We are proud to have this nomination from within our own pool of talented professionals,” Edelblut said before the vote.

When she was nominated she said she would work to ensure the department is well-run, transparent, and responsive to the needs of schools and students.

“New Hampshire is stronger when it has a collaborative educational landscape, high-quality public schools, diverse pathways, and commitment to local control – knowing that we’re better when working together,” she said.

She has been Director of Education Analytics and Resources at the New Hampshire Department of Education for the past eight years.

Throughout her 15-year career with the department, Davis has prioritized partnerships with public schools and played a key role in administering the state’s “growing educational pathways,” or non-public school options.

“Her leadership reflects a belief that public education and innovation are not in conflict, but can and must work together to meet the unique needs of students,” according to Ayotte’s news release.