A former Denver school teacher and administrator has been named Denver Public Schools’ chief academic officer, sources say.
Ana Tilton, 58, is currently chief program officer at the Texas High School Project in Dallas — a public/private organization dedicated to ensuring all Texas students graduate high school ready for college.
District officials on Wednesday would not confirm the high-level appointment but said a finalist has been chosen.
Superintendent Tom Boasberg has called the hiring of a chief academic officer his top priority.
The position is one of the three top administrators in the district — along with chief operating officer and superintendent. The chief academic officer is responsible for the overall academic mission of the district, including coordinating curriculum, instruction and assessment.
The job was vacated in September by Jaime Aquino, who served for three years under former Superintendent Michael Bennet.
Tilton has worked both with charter schools and noncharters through her three decades in education.
She was senior vice president for New American Schools, a group that has spearheaded the adoption of whole-school reform models nationwide; senior vice president of Edison Schools — a charter school organization; and had a long career as a California public school administrator, including superintendent of the Soquel school district and assistant superintendent for the Chula Vista School District.
Tilton, who has a master’s degree in bilingual and multicultural education, began her education career in Denver as an elementary and secondary school teacher. She was also a curriculum coordinator and assistant principal in the district.
Tilton received her doctorate at the University of Southern California in Educational Policy and Administration.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
