After a nationwide search and a series of statewide “listening sessions,” Gov. Gina Raimondo has nominated Dr. Ken Wagner, 47, as Rhode Island’s next education commissioner.

The search began after Deborah Gist, the previous commissioner, left her position to become superintendent in her hometown of Tulsa, Okla.

Through the listening tour, Raimondo met with various stakeholders, including students, parents and administrators, to hear what they expected from the next commissioner.

At a press conference Wednesday, Raimondo said the state was looking for a collaborative and passionate leader.

“Dr. Ken Wagner has the qualities you asked for,” she said.

If the Board of Education and the Rhode Island Council of Elementary and Secondary Education approve his nomination, Wagner will step down from his position with the New York State Department of Education as the senior deputy commissioner for education policy this month.

Wagner’s career in education started while still in high school. At the age of 18, he was elected to serve on his hometown school board.

The Hofstra University graduate went on to become a school psychologist in the Freeport Union Free School District, and both an assistant principal and principal of a middle school for the Herricks and Shoreham-Wading River school districts.

He continued to move up the educational ladder, becoming a district administrator in Shoreham-Wading River district and Eastern Suffolk BOCES in New York, before moving onto the New York State Department of Education, where he held various positions.

With the New York department, Wagner was a main contributor in the development of EngageNY. The free curriculum, which fits in with Common Core learning standards, has been downloaded more than 20 million times by teachers nationwide.

“He has experienced every rung on the educational ladder,”

Raimondo said. “He is a work horse, not a show horse.”

Chalkbeat New York, an educational news organization, in an article from yesterday morning said Wagner has been the “face of the department” in New York the last few months, describing him as an “effective” leader.

Wagner said he felt privileged to come to a state where “you put your dollars to your values.”

He said that education is the best investment in the future, noting that Rhode Island wants to “attack education reform head on,” and he is excited to take on that goal.

Having worked in the school setting, Wagner believes it’s paramount to keep teachers, administrators and students at the table.

“These are the people on the ground that make learning happen,” Wagner said. “They need to be at the table they are who we should listen to.”

As a mother, Raimondo said Wagner is the person she would want in the position because he has high expectations for students and educators.

“He is someone that believes in students and encourages them to aim high,” she said.

When it comes to making decisions, Wagner said he always asks the question: “Does it help teachers teach, and does it help students learn? If the answer is yes, then we should be doing it.”

Raimondo hopes that the state can move forward in ensuring the needs of every child are met medically, mentally and academically, whether they plan on going onto higher education or entering the workforce.

“We need to spark a comeback for this great state of Rhode Island, and that’s through high quality public education,” Raimondo said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Wagner said that his first priority as commissioner would be to meet with stakeholders and get a comprehensive look at Rhode Island’s educational system and what has already been done.

“I’ve always had high expectations, and the most important thing is that students have a quality place to learn,” he said.

On Monday, the Board of Education and the Rhode Island Council of Elementary and Secondary Education is expected to approve Wagner’s nomination.