Pooja Bhatt, who has served as the education initiative adviser to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek since the start of the administration, has resigned from her position as of September 27. Bhatt’s departure, unlike some earlier resignations from Kotek’s staff, is unrelated to first lady Aimee Kotek Wilson.
Bhatt had made it clear from the outset that her tenure would be temporary. In her resignation letter, she explained, “When I accepted this role, I made a two-year commitment, and as we approach that mark, I realize that making the transition now will be more practical in the long run.”
During her time in office, Bhatt worked on improving outcomes for K–12 education, particularly in literacy. She played a key role in securing funding for summer school programs and child care and helped revise the K–12 budget calculation, which is expected to increase by $515 million in the 2025–27 budget.
