Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Friday that Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo is resigning, effective March 14. “It has been a tremendous honor to work alongside the dedicated team at the Department of Education and serve Iowa schools, administrators, educators, and students,” Lebo said in a news release. “The last three years have been some of the most challenging of my career, but also incredibly rewarding. … Now, I’ve decided to explore new opportunities and I look forward to seeing where they lead.” The release did not provide a statement about the department’s plans for finding its next director. Lebo joined the department on March 13, 2020, days before schools closed for the remainder of the school year due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I want to thank Dr. Lebo for her many contributions to my administration and the Department of Education over the last three years,” Reynolds said. “From her very first day on the job, Ann was immersed in the pandemic’s impact on education. She supported Iowa’s schools in their transition to remote learning during the spring of 2020 and developed our Return to Learn plan for the fall.”