DESE Commissioner Nicastro to retire

DESE Commissioner Nicastro to retire



JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Dr. Chris Nicastro, commissioner of education, announced Monday she will retire at the end of the year. The announcement was made on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's website.
"This is exactly the right time both personally and professionally for a change in leadership. I will work closely with the State Board and the team to ensure a smooth transition and will be available in the coming months and years as necessary. I will always be a relentless public education advocate in whatever role the future holds," Nicastro said in the statement.
Earlier this year Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City) asked for the resignation of Nicastro, citing allegations Nicastro attempted to grant a lucrative contract to CEE-Trust to develop an improvement plan for the Kansas City School District without looking for other options. Nicastro was also accused of changing the words in her department's Fiscal note Estimate.
In July, Nicastro sat down for an exclusive interview with NewsChannel 5's Farrah Fazal. During the interview, she said our public schools are in crisis, and spoke about a new model for the failed Normandy schools for more immediate reading, writing, and math results.
Nicastro has worked as a teacher and administrator in Missouri for nearly 40 years.
Allison Sylte contributed to this report.

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