Hernandez One Of Four To Advance At Education Department

The Arkansas Department of Education today announced a new second in command and three new assistant commissioners.

Mike Hernandez, currently the assistant commissioner for fiscal and administrative services, is the new deputy commissioner effective July 1. The deputy commissioner is the number two position at the department.

He’ll replace Tony Wood, whom Gov. Mike Beebe has tapped to become education commissioner. The current commissioner, Dr. Tom Kimbrell, is leaving to become superintendent at Bryant.

Hernandez has spent a year in his current job, which oversees the distribution of funds to public schools and monitors school districts’ fiscal situations. Before that, he was superintendent at Danville.

He will be replaced by Dr. Eric Saunders, current superintendent of the East End School District in Bigelow, the department announced today. Saunders previously was a principal at Lavaca High School.

That job heads one of five ADE divisions. The department announced that Annette Barnes will head one of the other ones as assistant commissioner for pubic school accountability. That position assists districts with complying with educational standards and desegregation orders.

Barnes has been ADE coordinator for school improvement and standards assurance since 2005. She replaces John Hoy, who is leaving to serve as superintendent of Helena-West Helena.

Finally, Ivy Pfeffer was named assistant commissioner for human resources, educator effectiveness and licensure. That position oversees a number of programs, including teacher and principal evaluation programs. She has spent the past year as ADE director of educator evaluation. She replaces Dr. Karen Walters, who is leaving to become assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Bryant.