Nevada Education Department fills deputy superintendent posts

By Paul Takahashi

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 | 7:32 p.m.

Nevada Superintendent Dale Erquiaga on Thursday announced two deputy superintendents and a new director for teacher effectiveness.

Steven Canavero, who is the director of the state’s public charter school authority, was named deputy superintendent of student achievement, effective Jan. 13. In his new role, Canavero will oversee the state’s curriculum, assessments and school accountability reports.

Canavero, who has a master’s and doctoral degrees in educational leadership from UNR, has extensive experience in public education, having worked as a teacher, principal and policymaker.

Julia Teska, who was the director of business services in Nevada’s education department, became the deputy superintendent for business and support services in July 2013. Teska, who served in several state agencies, spent more than a decade working in school finance for school districts in California. Teska has a bachelor’s degree in public service from Ashford University.

The state education department also has a new director of educator effectiveness.

Clark County School District’s coordinator of employee onboarding and development Dena Durish was named to the new position and will be responsible for overseeing the new teacher evaluation system, teacher licensure and professional development across the state.

Durish, who graduated from Indiana University and has a master’s in educational leadership from UNLV, has experience working in higher education and teaching.

“With these staff changes, the leadership team in the Department of Education is well positioned to guide department staff and serve our students and educators,” Superintendent Erquiaga said in a statement. “This is a very exciting time for education in the state of Nevada and I am looking forward to working with these leaders on a wide range of issues.”