Pennsylvania Education Secretary to resign, replacement named

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Governor Tom Wolf these days declared that Office of Instruction Secretary Dr. Noe Ortega will resign his place with the commonwealth on April 29. 

The governor also announced his intention to title Eric Hagarty to provide as Performing Secretary.

“Noe is a committed advocate for all learners and I’m grateful for his company to our commonwealth,” Gov. Wolf reported. “He led the department by unparalleled instances, making sure a protected return to in-human being mastering and giving access to COVID-19 tests and vaccines. His prosperous attempts to diversify our educator workforce and boost possibilities for pupils to attain postsecondary training options will without doubt continue to impression our learners for a long time to appear.”

Prior to Secretary, Ortega served as the Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for the Business of Postsecondary and Higher Instruction (OPHE) at PDE. The Wolf administration did not quickly announce the motive driving Dr. Ortega’s resignation.

“It has been a large honor to lead the Department of Education during an unparalleled second in the heritage of the commonwealth and I am extremely proud of the achievements made and the resiliency demonstrated by the PDE group all over my tenure,” Secretary Ortega reported. “Thank you, Governor Wolf, for the opportunity to guide the division. Together, we worked tirelessly to ensure that just about every learner in Pennsylvania has obtain to a significant-top quality and equitable academic possibility.”

Dr. Ortega is the second member of the Wolf administration to resign this 7 days adhering to the resignation of the Section of Health and fitness Acting Secretary Keara Klinepeter on April 18 as she prepares for the delivery of her to start with baby.

Following Secretary Ortega’s departure, Hagarty will serve in the performing posture. Hagarty now serves as Governor Wolf’s Deputy Main of Employees liable for implementing the governor’s priorities and procedures relating to schooling, including the historic “Level Up” program to commit a lot more in Pennsylvania’s most chronically underfunded colleges, the COVID-19 vaccine initiative for teachers and the protected return to in-human being mastering, the initial regulatory reforms to Pennsylvania’s constitution faculty program, and generational investments in the Pennsylvania Point out Procedure of Larger Education (PASSHE).

“It has been an honor doing work intently with Governor Wolf since the get started of his administration and with Secretary Ortega as perfectly as former Education Secretary Pedro Rivera for the very last many a long time. I’m committed to continuing to support the governor for the remainder of his administration and to ensuring that his priorities for our education and learning system are applied, from pre-K to better education as properly as the libraries that serve as the bedrock of a lot of communities. I glimpse ahead to working even more carefully with the challenging-working and dedicated personnel at the Division of Education,” Hagarty mentioned. “Thank you, Governor Wolf and Secretary Ortega, for your leadership and for your determination to our commonwealth’s learners and educators.”