Former Nevada superintendent of education has new job

Rorie Fitzpatrick, who served as interim Nevada superintendent of education through the 2013 Legislature, has been hired by WestEd in San Francisco.

WestEd is a nonprofit educational research and development organization with more than 600 staffers and offices in 16 states nationwide.

A spokesman said Fitzpatrick will be the director of Common Core Implementation. Common Core is designed to develop state standards that lay out “consistent, clear and rigorous expectations” for students across the states and “promote a vision in which all students across our nation are highly prepared for both college and career,” according to WestEd’s website.

“Common Core represents a significant restructuring of our education systems and WestEd is uniquely qualified to help states and districts achieve these 21st century expectations,” Fitzpatrick said.

She will direct WestEd’s work in supporting implementation of Common Core State Standards ad related issues such as educator effectiveness.

Before joining the Nevada Department of Education, Fitzpatrick was a faculty member at the UNR College of Education.

She has a master’s degree in early-childhood special education.

Fitzpatrick was named interim superintendent after the departure of James Guthrie but was passed over for the permanent job by Gov. Brian Sandoval.