Gov. Steve Sisolak today accepted the resignation of Steve Canavero as superintendent of public instruction, the governor’s office announced.
Canavero’s resignation is effective Feb. 6.
The governor’s office did not immediately address a replacement.
Canavero said in a statement that he was resigning for personal reasons and seeking another role in education that would let him better balance work and family.
“To leave no room for doubt, my resignation is not related to any position or policy of Gov. Sisolak’s administration,” Canavero said.
“The governor’s moral imperative to ensure every child, regardless of ZIP code, receives a quality education is the very reason why I entered in the field of education and will remain in the field of education for the entirety of my career,” Canavero said.
Sisolak thanked Canavero for his service and said he was “thankful for his years of leadership at the Department of Education and wish him the best in all future endeavors.”
Former Gov. Brian Sandoval appointed Canavero interim superintendent in September of 2015 and made the job permanent in February 2016. The superintendent oversees the state’s education system, which serves 485,000 students.
Canavero previously served as deputy superintendent for student achievement at the Nevada Department of Education, where he played a major role in the development and passage of educational investments and reforms approved in the 2015 Legislature.
“It has been the highlight of my professional career to serve the State of Nevada as the superintendent of public instruction,” Canavero said. “Nevada should be proud of the improved student outcomes across the state as well as the honest recognition of the challenges we face and the earnest work to address them.”