Iowa Department of Education director resigns. What we know about his replacement:

Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed a former Trump official and "school choice" advocate as the new director of the Iowa Department of Education.

The sudden leadership switch comes less than four months after Reynolds appointed director Chad Aldis, who began his tenure in March. The governor's office announced Thursday morning that Aldis resigned "for family reasons."

In his wake, Iowa has hired McKenzie Snow, the deputy director of the Virginia Department of Education and a longtime advocate of state-funded private school scholarships. Snow's first day as the director in Iowa will be Monday, June 26.

“All children — regardless of their background or zip code — deserve a great education that inspires and prepares them for the future," Snow said in a news release. "Together, we will continue to build upon Iowa’s commitment to educational excellence for all children.”

This fall will be the first year that Iowa students may use state funds to attend private schools. More than 17,000 students have applied for the state's new education savings accounts — thousands more than lawmakers budgeted for.

Snow will oversee that program and other significant changes to Iowa education passed this year, like a ban on school books with sex acts and restrictions on LGBTQ-related instruction.

Who is McKenzie Snow, new director of the Iowa Department of Education?

Snow has served in several state and federal education policy positions.

The Virginia Mercury reports Snow worked for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a think tank founded by Republican Jeb Bush. She advocated for school choice policies, including state-funded education savings accounts and increasing funding for charter schools.

Snow worked in the U.S. Department of Education during the Trump administration. Forbes reports Snow led the development of former President Donald Trump's "Education Freedom Scholarships" proposal, a bill that would have created tax credits for businesses and individuals who donated to organizations that provide private school scholarships.

Snow worked for the New Hampshire Department of Education before she was appointed as a deputy director to the Virginia Department of Education in 2022.

Reynolds said Snow's experience makes her "the right leader for this promising time."

"Her leadership experience over state education departments in both Virginia and New Hampshire, at the U.S. Department of Education, and for the White House has earned her the respect of educators and policymakers alike," Reynolds said in a news release.

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds appoints McKenzie Snow as Department of Education director