New Hampshire's Commissioner of Education plans to resign at the end of January.
Commissioner Virginia Barry sent an email to department staff Friday announcing that she will step down from the post on Jan. 30.
Barry has led the department since 2009 and her appointment is set to expire in March. Republican Gov.-elect Chris Sununu will nominate and appoint a new commissioner with the approval of the Executive Council.
In her email, Barry says leading the department has been a "gift." She writes that New Hampshire's education efforts have "helped to change national thinking and public education."
New Hampshire's education department is piloting a competency-based education program that has received national attention.
