Schools Chief to Be Named
Richmond-Area Exec Is Nominee

By Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

RICHMOND Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) will announce Wednesday that he is appointing Billy K. Cannaday Jr., superintendent of the Chesterfield County school system, to be Virginia's top schools official.

Cannaday, who has led the suburban Richmond school system since 2000, will be the first African American to head the state's Department of Education. He succeeds Jo Lynne DeMary, who stepped down in January after six years and was the first woman appointed to the post.

Cannaday's selection as state superintendent for instruction was confirmed by sources familiar with the decision. They asked not to be identified because they did not want to upstage a formal announcement planned by Kaine for Wednesday.

Kevin Hall, Kaine's spokesman, would not confirm Cannaday's selection but noted Cannaday's experience leading both large urban and suburban districts. "I'd imagine that would give him a perspective that is somewhat unique," he said.

The state superintendent, who must be confirmed by the General Assembly, leads a department of about 340 employees with a budget of $112 million. Along with the state Board of Education, the superintendent helps implement statewide testing and education policies and directs $5.8 billion in state and federal funding for local school systems.

Since 1998, when Virginia introduced its Standards of Learning tests, the state superintendent has played a critical role in developing those tests and helping school systems administer them. The department is also responsible for implementing the federal No Child Left Behind law. In recent years, DeMary had served as spokeswoman for critics of the law in the state.

Cannaday, 55, could not be reached Tuesday for comment. The Chesterfield School Board released a statement that said he informed board members last week that he was being considered for the job.

"While the School Board values and appreciates Dr. Cannaday's leadership and commitment to the students, staff and community of Chesterfield, we feel honored that he is being considered for this important leadership position," School Board Chairman Marshall Trammell Jr. said in the statement.

Another School Board member described Cannaday as a supporter of SOL testing who helped all but the two alternative schools among the system's 59 schools receive full accreditation based on the percentage of students passing the exams.

"He has brought an energy to the school district that we have really appreciated," said Beth Davis, vice chairman of the county's School Board. "He just has a tremendous passion for education and tremendous compassion."

A Roanoke native who graduated from Virginia Tech, Cannaday, the 2005 superintendent of the year, is known for his interest in alternative education. He also helped develop a computer tutorial for Chesterfield students taking high school Standards of Learning reading tests that was distributed statewide.

With 57,000 students, Chesterfield is the state's fourth-largest school system. Before coming to suburban Richmond, Cannaday was superintendent of the more urban Hampton city district for six years.

Loudoun County Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick III, who serves with Cannaday as an officer of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, called him a "real educational leader."

"He's not a hands-off administrator," Hatrick said. "He's well-read; he's articulate. I think he'll be a great spokesperson for the state."