RPS names new chief academic officer

(ABC 6 News) – Rochester Public Schools has named Dr. Efe Agbamu as the school district’s chief academic officer.

Dr. Agbamu was most recently the assistant superintendent at St. Paul Public Schools, and was named Minnesota High School Principal of the Year in 2011 while working at Park High School in South Washington Schools.

“I can’t wait to introduce the students, staff, parents, caregivers, and community members of Rochester to Dr. Agbamu,” says Superintendent Dr. Kent Pekel. “She is an extraordinary leader whom I have known for many years and she was the enthusiastic choice of a diverse group of Rochester Public Schools leaders who participated in the interview process.”

The chief academic officer is a new position that will lead the school district’s deep and systemic initiatives to help students succeed in school and in life. The position is part of the district’s restructuring of central administration to better align with the newly approved strategic plan. The chief academic officer will lead a unified Office of Academics that brings together staff with responsibilities for curriculum and instruction, special education, social-emotional learning, strategic planning, and research, evaluation, and assessment.

“This is a dream come true,” says Dr. Agbamu. “I have served in different capacities in education from teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and now chief academic officer. This is an amazing opportunity to serve the students, families, staff and community of Rochester Public Schools, and I look forward to this.”

Dr. Agbamu holds a doctoral degree in Education from Hamline University, a Master’s and a Bachelor’s in Curriculum Development from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. She is currently licensed as a district superintendent and principal for kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as in elementary education for English and Language Arts and English as a Second Language. She will begin her position with Rochester Public Schools in mid-July.