Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson is among four new members announced by Chiefs for Change today, a bipartisan network of state and district education leaders. The leaders are:
• Bryan Johnson, Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee;
• Tammy Campbell, Superintendent of Federal Way Public Schools in Washington;
• Monica Goldson, CEO of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland; and
• Diana Greene, Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools in Florida.
“We are pleased to welcome these distinguished educators into our community of leaders,” said Chiefs for Change Board Chair and San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Pedro Martinez. “Covid-19 has taken a tremendous toll on children and families, but these leaders, like others in our network, have persevered with a deep commitment to the communities they serve. The chiefs are helping to ensure that students emerge from the pandemic with the support they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
Chiefs for Change’s top priority during this time is getting all students safely back into the classroom for in-person learning. The network established communities of practice immediately after schools closed last spring. Members meet virtually on a regular basis to discuss the work in their systems. Based on chiefs’ insights and promising practices in their states and districts, Chiefs for Change has created tools and resources to support education systems in reopening schools, accelerating student learning, expanding access to college and meaningful careers and closing the digital divide.
Members are united around a core set of beliefs and advance policies and practices that make a difference for students. The chiefs have worked to expand school choice initiatives, promote the use of high-quality instructional materials and create reliable and affordable postsecondary pathways.
There are currently 43 Chiefs for Change members, 36 of whom are actively serving as chiefs. Of that group, 29 are district chiefs and seven are state chiefs. Fifty-six percent of members are leaders of color, and 42 percent are women. The members are:
• Rob Anderson: Superintendent of Boulder Valley School District, Colorado
• Katy Anthes: Commissioner of Education, Colorado
• Sharon Contreras: Superintendent of Guilford County Schools, North Carolina
• Susana Cordova: Former Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Colorado
• Mary Elizabeth Davis: Superintendent of Henry County Schools, Georgia
• John Deasy: Former Superintendent of Stockton Unified School District, California
• Paolo DeMaria: Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ohio
• Susan Enfield: Superintendent of Highline Public Schools, Washington
• Donald Fennoy: Superintendent of The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida
• Lewis Ferebee: Chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools, District of Columbia
• Chad Gestson: Superintendent of Phoenix Union High School District, Arizona
• Deborah Gist: Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, Oklahoma
• LaTonya Goffney: Superintendent of Aldine Independent School District, Texas
• Eric Gordon: CEO of Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Ohio
• T. Lamar Goree: Superintendent of Caddo Parish Public Schools, Louisiana
• Errick Greene: Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools, Mississippi
• William Hite: Superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Millard House II: Director of Schools at Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, Tennessee
• Angélica Infante-Green: Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Rhode Island
• Janice Jackson: CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Illinois
• Barbara Jenkins: Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, Florida
• Aleesia Johnson: Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, Indiana
• Michael Johnson: Commissioner of Education, Alaska
• Kyla Johnson-Trammell: Superintendent of Oakland Unified School District, California
• Hanseul Kang: Former State Superintendent of Education, District of Columbia
• Christina Kishimoto: Superintendent, Hawaii State Department of Education
• Henderson Lewis, Jr.: Superintendent of NOLA Public Schools, Louisiana
• Pedro Martinez: Superintendent of San Antonio Independent School District, Texas
• Scott Muri: Superintendent of Ector County Independent School District, Texas
• Kunjan Narechania: Former CEO of the Recovery School District, Louisiana
• Harrison Peters: State Turnaround Superintendent of Providence Public Schools, Rhode Island
• Orlando Riddick: Former Superintendent of Midland Independent School District, Texas
• Robert Runcie: Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, Florida
• Ian Saltzman: Superintendent of Everett Public Schools, Washington
• Sonja Santelises: CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, Maryland
• Penny Schwinn: Commissioner of Education, Tennessee
• Elliot Smalley: Former Superintendent of South Carolina Public Charter School District, South Carolina
• John White: Former State Superintendent of Education, Louisiana
• Carey Wright: State Superintendent of Education, Mississippi