The Iowa Department of Education has announced Christopher Kaftan as the next superintendent for Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Iowa School for the Deaf. He is replacing John Cool, who is retiring after 34 years of service to Iowa School for the Deaf and 12 years of service to Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, most recently as interim superintendent. The education department formed an 11-member search committee including parents, faculty, staff, alumni, the Iowa Department for the Blind and the Iowa Association of the Deaf that conducted a nationwide search supported by Innivee Strategies. Kaftan brings over two decades of experience as a director of student services, director of curriculum and instruction, principal and teacher. Kaftan, who will start July 1, is currently the student services director at the Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham, Mass., where he supports nearly 200 deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Kaftan holds a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education and a master’s degree in deaf education from Gallaudet University. He also earned a graduate certificate in special education administration from Johns Hopkins University.