DoDEA loses second director in a year, leaving top job vacant – Federal News Network

The turnover comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has sought to refocus the typically independent school system on “patriotic values and classical learning.”…
The Pentagon agency in charge of educating the children of military members and civilian employees is moving forward without a director until further notice.
The Department of Defense Education Activity’s top job became vacant Oct. 31, marking the second time the civilian agency has changed leaders in the past year. The Pentagon hasn’t named a replacement.
DoD announced Paul Craft’s abrupt resignation Oct. 15, saying he would leave at the end of the month after less than a year on the job. The retired Ohio National Guard colonel served as the state superintendent of public instruction before coming to DODEA.
Craft replaced Beth Schiavino-Narvaez, a Biden-era appointee who served as director for nearly two years, in March. The Pentagon hasn’t answered why either leader stepped down.
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The DODEA director oversees the operations of 161 schools around the world that serve more than 66,000 military-connected kids in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. The school system employs around 14,000 staff and has revised its hiring process in an effort to put a full-time teacher in every classroom. Federal data shows about one-third of DODEA’s workforce has turned over during the second Trump administration so far.
The turnover comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has sought to refocus the typically independent school system on “patriotic values and classical learning.” DoD is requesting $5.1 billion for DODEA in fiscal 2027, including a $1.7 billion boost in mandatory spending that Congress isn’t guaranteed to provide.
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Rachel Cohen covers the Department of Defense for Federal News Network. An award-winning reporter and editor, she has written about the U.S. military and defense industry since 2016. To contact her about recent changes in the federal government, please email rachel.cohen@federalnewsnetwork.com or reach out on Signal at rcohen.64.
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