Newly appointed state Superintendent Michael Martirano became West Virginia’s 30th schools chief Monday after taking the oath of office in front of Department of Education staff. The ceremony took place at the West Virginia Culture Center and was administered by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Robin Davis. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, Board of Education President Gayle Manchin and board members Wade Linger, Lloyd Jackson, Michael Green and William White were in attendance. Monday was Martirano’s first day on the job.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nearly three months after being named state superintendent of schools, Michael Martirano has finally come to West Virginia.
Martirano officially became the state’s 30th schools chief Monday during a swearing-in ceremony at the state Culture Center. State Supreme Court Chief Justice Robin Davis administered the oath.
The state Board of Education selected Martirano in June after a months-long nationwide search that cost $43,000, but the hire couldn’t become official until he fulfilled a contractual obligation to St. Mary’s County Schools in southern Maryland, where he was superintendent for nine years. Monday was his first day with the Department of Education.
At the ceremony, Martirano repeated many pledges and statements he gave when Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin introduced him to the public in July. He said West Virginians need to have a “fierce urgency” if they want to improve achievement for all students.
“Young people are counting on us now for their future,” he told department staff in attendance. “And I want us to galvanize around a clear vision of one voice, one focus and all students achieving…
