The Churn: Hick names new regent

What’s churning:

Irene Griego, director of diversity and inclusion for the Jeffco Schools, has been named to the University of Colorado Board of Regents by Gov. John Hickenlooper. She replaces 7th District Democratic Regent Monisha Merchant, who resigned to work for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

Griego has 38 years of experience as a teacher, principal, administrator and university instructor. (Get more info in this news release.)

Griego will serve until after next year’s election. A little-noticed side effect on the current fight over congressional redistricting, now before the Colorado Supreme Court, will be district boundary changes for both the Regents and the State Board of Education.

Seven regents are elected from congressional districts, and two serve statewide. The regents currently have a 5-4 Republican majority, and two seats held by Republicans also are on the ballot next year.

All seven SBE members are elected from congressional districts. The GOP currently has a 4-3 majority. Two SBE seats, one from each party, are the ballot next year.

Other people in the news: Ginny Vidulich, assistant principal of Louisville Middle School, has been named 2012 Colorado assistant principal of the year by the Colorado Association of School Executives. … Reilly Pharo has been named vice president of education initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. She’s been CCC director of government affairs since 2009. … Kerrie Dallman, president of Jefferson County Education Association, and Mark Sass, an Adams 12-Five Star teacher who blogs for EdNews, have been named to the Aspen Teacher Leader Fellows program, a new initiative of the Aspen Institute and Bellwether Education Partners.