Education Commissioner Edmond Heatley has dropped out of the running for a job in his native US.

Dr Heatley faced calls for his resignation after he applied for the post of Orleans Parish schools superintendent in December — just months after being hired by the Bermuda Government to oversee the Island’s education system.

Fresh details of Mr Heatley’s application were made public at the weekend, including the claim that he improved public school approval ratings here by a massive 70 percent since his arrival in September, 2013.

But according to media reports in New Orleans, Mr Heatley has now withdrawn his application for the coveted superintendent job.

An article in today’s edition of The New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper reads: “Edmond Heatley, education commissioner of Bermuda, has decided he doesn’t want to be Orleans Parish schools superintendent after all. School Board President Nolan Marshall Jr said he received word of the decision Monday.

“Marshall said the superintendent search firm did not give Heatley’s reasons for withdrawing. However, the commissioner has come under fire in Bermuda for seeking new employment only seven months into his job there.”

Dr Heatley is currently off Island, but a spokesman for the Ministry of Education said officials will be meeting with him on his return to discuss the situation.