Meredith Teasdale, who was officially appointed to the role at a full meeting of the City of Wolverhampton Council last week, has a strong track record and says she is excited about her new role.
She said: "Education, learning and delivering improved outcomes to children and young people have been central to my work and aspirations throughout my career - and this is something I will be bringing with me to the City of Wolverhampton."
Meredith began her career as a teaching assistant in Sunderland before teaching in secondary schools in Hertfordshire and Durham. This background stood her in good stead for a number of local government roles, starting in Hartlepool where she established the SureStart programmes and was involved in all aspects of education provision, from transport and admissions to school improvement and special educational needs and disabilities.
She has worked in Leicestershire as an education officer and in Lincolnshire where she set the foundations for a flourishing school to school support mechanism. More recently in Cambridgeshire, she championed the needs of the area's most vulnerable children, forming a partnership focused on quality teaching and improved outcomes for pupils with special educational needs.
She said: "I strongly believe that good quality education enables us to be enriched as individuals, allows us to achieve more than previous generations and enables social mobility.
"Education allows a community to grow and be resilient, it attracts business and wealth and creates a community full of opportunities which are valued by all.
"My aspiration is that every child and young person in the City of Wolverhampton has access to good quality education that allows them to thrive and to develop a love of learning that stays with them throughout their life.
"My aim is to work with partners across Wolverhampton to deliver this vision and to achieve a stronger economy, a stronger community and a stronger City."
The City of Wolverhampton Council's Managing Director Keith Ireland said: "Education is a key priority for the City of Wolverhampton Council.
"Meredith Teasdale has a strong track record of bringing about improved outcomes for children and young people, and she will have a crucial role to play in further raising educational standards in the City of Wolverhampton."
Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "I would like to welcome Meredith Teasdale to the City of Wolverhampton Council and look forward to working closely with her to continue the rapid progress we have seen over recent years, which has delivered improved outcomes for our children and young people and seen more schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted than ever before."
Meredith will join the City of Wolverhampton Council next month.
- released: Monday 25 September, 2017