Bermudian candidates will have a better shot at occupying the post of Commissioner of Education than in previous years, according to Wayne Scott, the Minister of Education.

He was addressing questions in the House of Assembly from the Opposition, after an announcement that a new commissioner would be sought early next year.

The minister stressed that the decision lay with the Board of Education, rather than himself.

However, he said: “The procedure I inherited, which has been in place since the commissioner before last, effectively excluded anyone Bermudian who was working in Bermuda to be eligible for this role. I ensured that this was removed before we go down this road again.”

The last Bermudian to hold the post was Wendy McDonell, who retired in August 2013. Her replacement by an American educator, Edmund Heatley, sparked protests, while Dr Heatley’s ill-fated tenure proved brief.

Mr Scott’s remarks came after he updated MPs on the “multi-tiered system of supports”, or MTSS framework, under way.

It has proved successful in several US school districts, he said, and its behavioural components have been brought to bear on “negative student behaviours impacting learning”.

Meanwhile, on the teacher professional development training front, Mr Scott said staff were now poised to train others in leadership skills.

The MTSS will be implemented over the period of 2015 to 2019, Mr Scott added, noting the department had made “significant” investments in the professional development of teachers.