Editor who oversaw The News’ editorial pages named lone finalist for charter school network post
A key editor for the Dallas Morning News is leaving the paper to lead a growing public network of charter schools.
Brendan Miniter, editor of editorials and general manager of The News ePaper, was selected today as the sole finalist for the Texas Superintendent of the Great Hearts Schools. State law requires that public school boards, including bylaws, wait 21 days after nominating a finalist before officially hiring them for the position.
Miniter said he was humble at the opportunity to lead the growing charter network, whose focus on classical education reflects his own love of history, literature and language. Officials said he would start the school at the end of the year.
“Education has always been important to me because it changed my life,” says Miniter, who grew up in upstate New York.
Miniter, who joined The News in 2018, served as the assistant editor of the editorial page for the Wall Street Journal for a decade. He has worked with Republican strategist Karl Rove on two books and with former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels on another.
Miniter moved to North Texas in 2011 and worked for the George W. Bush Presidential Center. As director of science and editorial content, he directed the creation of the permanent exhibition on Bush’s presidency.
Grant Moise, President and Editor of The News, said Miniter’s dynamic background and willingness to listen to all sides of the topic made him a great steward of the editorial, which serves as the newspaper’s institutional voice on community issues and concerns.
“Brendan brought a keen intellect to this job that helps convey great insights,” said Moise, “but his heart is so big that, with the empathy he has, his IQ matches his emotional intelligence, to convey such a compassionate perspective to the editorial pages. “
In August, Moise promoted Miniter to additional roles as general manager overseeing strategies related to the digital version of The News. Moise said Miniter would be with the paper until the end of the month. A national search is being carried out to replace him.
Miniter said it will be difficult to quit journalism, but he has had a penchant for education since childhood and has worked on pruning apple trees to pay for his tuition at a Catholic school with a classic education focus. He had to drop out of college twice for financial reasons. Family friends helped him get back to school.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from George Mason University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Virginia. While in high school, he worked with at-risk students as a tutor in the Fairfax area.
He will join Great Hearts amid a pandemic weighing schools across the country and as the network tries to expand across the state.
The charter, which began in Arizona, includes 12 locations in Texas, including a handful in Irving, Arlington, and Fort Worth. Over the next year, Great Hearts plans to add a middle school to its Irving campus and open additional campuses in Fort Worth and San Antonio.
Great Hearts co-founder Dan Scroggin, who is currently serving as interim superintendent, said Miniter’s diverse experience and commitment as a lifelong learner uniquely position him as the strong leader the network needs to oversee its Texas schools.
The DMN Education Lab deepens reporting and discussion on pressing educational issues that are critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative with support from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, The Meadows Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University and Todd A. Williams Family Foundation. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control over the Education Lab’s journalism.
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