STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
What Ohio Needs and Deserves in a
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Ohio Needs and Deserves a Superintendent Who
Believes in Honest Education and the Wellness of Every Child
Every child deserves a high-quality education grounded in honesty and facts,
regardless of background, race, or zip code.
Dismissing racism and discrimination, or minimizing its trauma and impact,
harms individuals and communities, and prevents pathways to reconciliation and healing.
Education must reflect and celebrate diverse student identities, experiences, and cultures to
maximize student engagement and achievement.
Students and communities benefit most when caring families, skilled educators, and
dedicated school boards define what is appropriate within classrooms.
Honesty in education is the freedom of critical thinking, reflection, and the diverse exchange of ideas that are
essential to Ohio’s future, viability, and high-functioning democracy.
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Ohio Needs and Deserves a Superintendent Who Exemplifies the Values of an Honest Education Leader:
Honesty, Dignity, Courage, Lifelong Learning, Commitment
Honesty ensures facts, hard truths, multiple perspectives, and diverse experiences are
infused into instruction, curriculum, and discussions.
Dignity and respect ensure that each student is loved and valued for their
unique identity, culture, and lived experiences.
Courage begets leaders that BOLDLY advocate for honest education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles, multiculturalism, student agency, and community collaboration through an empathy lens.
Lifelong Learning nurtures intellectual curiosity, a respect for research, and a
quest for truth within students, educators, and families.
Commitment safeguards the emotional wellness, safety, and academic success of every student and
ensures that necessary resources will be deployed to guarantee the success of all students.
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Ohio Needs and Deserves a Superintendent with
a Commitment to Family and Student-Centered Education
As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we have learned internationally and domestically that our education practices and leaders of yesterday must fully shift to our family and student-centered approach to education and learning clearly define in the Each Child Our Future strategic plan and the Whole Child Framework.
Our superintendent must be committed to this approach while also prioritizing the following:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion principles and practices
Anti-racism, anti-discrimination, anti-bias teaching, training, and professional development
Mental health
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Social-Emotional Learning
Restorative Practices
Conflict resolution and de-escalation practices
Trauma-Informed Care
Courageous Conversations around race, gender, sexuality, and other forms of identity
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Ohio Needs and Deserves a Superintendent with
Child-Focused Professional Experience or A Deep Commitment to Education
Professionally, our next education leader should have demonstrated success in a child-focused career such as education, pediatric healthcare, behavioral or mental health, or family services. Ideally, our leader would have school district experience in a classroom, as a building administrator, or as a school superintendent. Absent that, our superintendent would bring a vision to provide a high-quality education for every student and carry a deep commitment to learning about multiple facets of education that integrate student wellness, social-emotional learning, and academic achievement.
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Ohio Needs and Deserves a Superintendent with
Exceptional Operational Experience and Financial Acumen
Operationally, our superintendent should bring solid experience managing a large organization that carries more than 600 employees and wields a multimillion dollar budget. Further, the role should move away from strict accountability to more of a customer service oriented agency that offers direct support to school districts and students. As a liaison to the State Board, a quasi-cabinet member, and a policy advisor to the Ohio legislature, the state superintendent must be fiercely nonpartisan, have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and deftly manage, often competing, priorities and agendas. These operational skills coupled with educational experience, a Whole Child mindset, and cultural proficiency would make a candidate ideally suited for the role.
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Ohio's 1.7 million students entrusted in the care of some 612 school districts across Ohio, need and deserve a superintendent of public instruction who can expertly prioritize and deploy resources to address the unique needs, wellness, safety, and academic success of each and every student across the state.
