Kaya Henderson Confirmed as D.C. Schools Chancellor

The District Council confirmed Kaya Henderson as D.C. Schools Chancellor, Tuesday. Henderson served as Deputy Chancellor beginning in 2007 under former Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who after Vincent Gray's victory at the polls.

When Henderson came on as interim Chancellor in November she called Rhee her "friend, mentor and partner" in school reform. She has been the .

When Gray announced his intention to keep Henderson on in the role permanently, he defended his choice.

“Are there other candidates I could have considered and worked well with? Surely there are. But I have already worked with Kaya and have certainty about her approach," he said.

Henderson, though not as heavy-handed as her predecessor, has still been actively involved in the local schools.

It was , announcing that Principal Dana Nerenberg would be leaving her post at and focusing her effort on her role at .

In the letter to parents, Henderson wrote the she and Nerenberg reached a mutual decision "that the best way to move forward is to assign a full- time principal exclusively to Hardy MS and allow Principal Nerenberg to return to her full-time duties at Hyde."

Henderson did not to bring back popular former principal, Patrick Pope, who had been removed by Rhee at the end of the 2009-2010 school year. Instead she as the interim principal at Hardy. Shea had been serving as head of scheduling for DCPS high schools and middle schools in the main office.

And, with the , Henderson ultimately .

She was officially confirmed today by acclamation.