Paolo DeMaria is president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education. He recently retired as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Ohio after five years of service. In that role his proudest accomplishment was the collaborative development of Each Child, Our Future, Ohio’s strategic plan for education that continues to guide the policy and practice work of the Ohio Department of Education. During his tenure, DeMaria focused on improving literacy outcomes, developing and promoting a whole child framework, supporting and elevating teacher excellence and leadership, and promoting career-technical education and stronger business-education partnerships. He also advanced the work of equity in Ohio’s education system. Before becoming Ohio’s state chief, DeMaria directed the state’s Office of Budget and Management and was chief policy advisor to former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and executive vice chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. He also spent six years as principal consultant for Education First Consulting. Born to immigrant parents, DeMaria is a native of West Virginia and attended public schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and South Carolina. He received a B.A. from Furman University and an M.P.A. from the Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs.
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