The Government has advertised the position of Commissioner of Education, seeking applicants for the post held by Kalmar Richards since 2018.

A notice published on the Government Careers website listed the post, which is responsible for administrative and instructional leadership, and transformation of the Department of Education.

The notice stated: “The Commissioner of Education ensures the effective provision of academic, human resources and fiscal leadership through the implementation of innovative and high quality educational programmes, services and activities for principals, teachers and students that support the mission of teaching and learning in the public education system.

“These programmes, services and activities include curriculum development and support, assessment, special education, school improvement, leadership and professional development and accountability for meeting educational and other performance standards.

“In addition, the Commissioner of Education provides professional support to the Minister and Permanent Secretary of Education, to enable them to discharge their duties and responsibilities in respect to leading and managing the educational priorities of Government in an efficient and effective manner.”

The post, which has an end date of June 3, lists the annual salary of the position as $193,382.83.

The Ministry of Education was approached for comment.

Ms Richards was formally named the Commissioner of Education in September 2018 after two months acting in the role.

She began her career in education in 1983 as a high schoolteacher and went on to teach at the primary level before becoming a principal.

As the principal of CedarBridge Academy, Ms Richards helped to secure the school international accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 2007 and 2017.

During her time as commissioner, Ms Richards led the island’s public schools through Covid-19 as students transitioned to remote learning and later returned to the classroom.

Work to reform Bermuda’s education system has been a significant area of discussion as the Government sought to turn the island’s three-tier system into a two-tier structure.

Under government reform plans, middle schools were to be abolished, and in turn, primary schools were to add two more years, classed as years 1 to 8, while senior schools would teach years 9 to 13.

However, parents were told earlier this year that primary schools would revert to cover years 1 through 6, while middle schools would teach years 7 through 9 — previously known as M1, M2 and M3.

While several schools were shuttered as part of the process, plans to close additional primary schools were put on hold.

The public school system faced scrutiny in March after it was revealed that exam results fell below international averages in almost all areas.

The ministry attributed the outcomes to the non-selective nature of Bermuda’s public school system, small cohort sizes that can create “statistical volatility” and disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also referred to a prolonged period of “leadership turnover and structural reform impacting the consistency of instructional delivery”.

The government notice states that candidates for commissioner should have a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience, including ten years at a senior management level or equivalent experience, along with a master's degree or equivalent, and a professional qualification in an education discipline.

Responsibilities for the post include strategic leadership and management, offering professional support to the Minister of Education, financial and human resource administration duties, communicating the vision of the public school system and ensure best practices regarding parent engagement.