Headteacher and former Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) president Pepe Di’Iasio has been nominated as the union’s general secretary, to succeed Geoff Barton from next April.
Mr Di’Iasio, headteacher at Wales High School in Rotherham, began his teaching career in Doncaster before moving as deputy headteacher to an 11-19 teaching school in Sheffield.
He has also worked as an executive headteacher of two high schools and assistant director of education for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, and was formerly chair of ASCL’s Equality, Inclusion and Ethics Committee.
He has spoken out in Tes about a range of challenges facing schools, such as financial pressures, the teacher recruitment crisis and the need for more support with special educational needs and disabilities provision.
ASCL vice-president John Camp, who is a member of the union’s general secretary selection committee, said: “Pepe is an exceptional leader with an optimistic and ambitious vision for the future of the association, and he possesses the skills and ability to represent our members very effectively with policymakers, the media and all our stakeholders.
“We are absolutely confident that he will take our association from strength to strength and build on Geoff’s outstanding record as general secretary.”
The selection committee’s decision means that Mr Di’Iasio is the nominated candidate of the ASCL Council, the association’s policymaking body of serving school and college leaders.
Nominations will open on Monday 4 September for members to put forward any further nominations, and will close on Friday 22 September.
An election will be held if a candidate or candidates are nominated through this process. If not, the election of the council-nominated candidate is uncontested.
ASCL’s current general secretary, Geoff Barton, was first elected as general secretary in 2017, after challenging nominated candidate Chris Kirk for the post.
Previously, Mr Barton had spent 15 years as headteacher of King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. He is a regular Tes columnist.
His 2017 election sparked controversy, with some heads concerned that Mr Barton’s sometimes outspoken criticisms of academies and grammar schools were not consistent with ASCL membership.
Members wondered how Mr Barton would be able to represent the views of academy and grammar-school leaders effectively.
However, he was re-elected unopposed in 2021.
In September last year, he announced he was stepping down in 2024 after seven years as general secretary, three years earlier than the five-year term was due to end.
He said today: “This is the right time for our association to have a new leader with a fresh approach, and I am delighted that Pepe is the council’s nominated candidate.
“He has a wealth of experience and expertise in education and a deep sense of moral purpose, which equips him to do an excellent job on behalf of our members and the children and young people they serve.”
