DEPARTMENT HIRES ROGER QUARLES AS CHIEF DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna announced today that Dr. Roger Quarles has been hired as Chief Deputy Superintendent of the Idaho State Department of Education.

As Chief Deputy, Quarles will oversee, supervise and support all educational programs at the Department including federal programs, assessment, school improvement and content areas.

“Through his work in the Caldwell School District and at Boise State, Roger Quarles has demonstrated he is a leader of reform and innovation in Idaho with a proven track record of success. I am pleased he now is bringing his expertise and passion for Idaho students to the State Department of Education. I know Roger will be a valuable asset to our team as we work to make sure every child, no matter where they live, graduates from high school and goes on to postsecondary education without the need for remediation,” Superintendent Luna said.

Nick Smith previously served as the Department’s Chief Deputy. He left the Department in July to take a position as a principal in the Boise School District.

Quarles brings 19 years of experience in education to the State Department of Education. He has served as a teacher, a principal, assistant superintendent and district superintendent.

Most recently, Quarles served as an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Foundational Studies at Boise State University and Co-Director of the successful Idaho Leads Project, housed at Boise State University. The Idaho Leads Project, funded by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation, is a professional development team focused on strengthening leadership capacity in Idaho’s K-12 schools. Currently, the Idaho Leads Project is serving 63 districts and charter schools statewide.

Prior to joining Boise State, Quarles led the Caldwell School District where he showed significant progress in turning around low-performing schools and retaining high-quality teachers.

“I believe this is one of the most exciting times to be involved in education. I support Superintendent Luna’s vision to create a customer-driven education system that meets the needs of every student, so I am eager to join him and his team at the state level and work toward achieving these goals,” Quarles said.

Quarles holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Idaho, where he also earned an Ed.S. in educational leadership and an M.Ed. in educational administration.

Quarles will start his new position as Chief Deputy at the State Department of Education on August 19.