Education agency promotes official

Deborah Coffman, chief of staff at the Arkansas Department of Education, will become the agency’s assistant commissioner of public school accountability, effective July 1, Education Commissioner Johnny Key announced.

Coffman, 56, will replace Annette Barnes, who is retiring, at a time when the state is developing a new school accountability system to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

Key said that Coffman “has a passion for ensuring every student receives a quality education in order to be prepared for college, career and community engagement beyond high school. Her direction will help transform Arkansas to lead the nation in student-focused education.”

As assistant commissioner, Coffman will oversee the division that provides school improvement, performance and equity assistance. The division is also responsible for monitoring of desegregation and compliance with state education standards.

Coffman, who is paid $90,360, has served as chief of staff since 2013. She was the Education Department’s director of professional development from 2006 to 2013. She began her career at the agency in 2004 as a literacy program manager.

She was an instructional specialist in the Pocahontas School District from 2002 to 2004, a literacy specialist for the Northeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative for five years, an elementary teacher at Hoxie Public Schools for nine years and a teacher at Burris School for Children at Jonesboro for two years.

Coffman has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.