The Fairfax County School Board appointed Nancy Sprague, assistant superintendent for Instructional Services, to the newly created position of chief academic officer last Thursday. Sprague begins her new job April 16 and will receive an annual salary of $146,237.
"We are very grateful and thankful to Dr. Sprague," said Schools Superintendent Daniel Domenech of Sprague's nationally recognized efforts to promote educational opportunities for children.
It is one of two positions created to replace the deputy superintendent role currently filled by Alan Leis, who accepted the schools superintendent position in Naperville Community School District 203 in Illinois, effective in April.
Late last year, Tom Brady, then assistant superintendent of the Department of Facilities, was named chief operating officer. The split will allow Sprague to focus on managing and ensuring the accountability of the educational programs, including curriculum and instruction for general, special and adult education and all student-related services. Brady, on the other hand, will concentrate on administrative matters.
Besides dividing the deputy superintendent's duties, the school system has eliminated one assistant superintendent position through attrition and combined two existing departments, eliminating the need to replace Brady.
Sprague has been an employee of the school system since 1990 when she accepted the assistant superintendent position. Before that, Sprague worked for the City of Falls Church Public Schools as the assistant to the superintendent, K-12 director of instruction and clerk of the school board. She also served as a middle school principal and a high school assistant principal. She began her career in Falls Church as a social studies teacher.
Sprague has also served as an adjunct professor with the University of Virginia and as a lecturer at George Mason University, University of Maryland and Florida State University schools of education.