48 Vital Ohio Public Education Leaders to Follow

Introduction

Ohio's public schools serve more than 1.6 million students across 611 districts, and the decisions made inside those districts, in state budget negotiations, in research centres, and in policy forums shape the futures of the largest student population the state has ever enrolled in a single school type. The people shaping those decisions deserve to be watched closely, not because watching them is comfortable, but because understanding what they are navigating is essential to anyone who cares about what happens in Ohio classrooms.

The 2025-2026 school year has arrived under extraordinary pressure. Ohio lawmakers abandoned the Fair School Funding Plan they had previously passed, leaving a $2.75 billion gap in what districts were promised, according to Policy Matters Ohio research published in April 2025. The universal EdChoice voucher programme now directs public funding to private schools at a scale never seen before in the state's history. Federal cuts to the Department of Education are adding further strain to budgets already stretched thin.

And yet, across the state, educators, administrators, researchers, and advocates are doing the work anyway: building systems, pushing for equity, speaking in public forums, producing research, and standing in front of children every morning.

This list brings together 48 of the leaders genuinely shaping that work right now. They range from state superintendents to classroom teachers, from policy researchers to union leaders, from early childhood advocates to technology-forward principals. What they share is a current, active, documented contribution to public education in Ohio. Rather than recycling the same handful of names that appear on every national education list, this directory surfaces the leaders who deserve to be far better known by anyone following K-12 public education in the Buckeye State.

For more on the national figures shaping the context for Ohio's work, read the companion post '50 Essential US Public Education Leaders to Follow' at consultclarity.org/post/50-essential-us-public-education-leaders-to-follow.

If your leadership team is navigating the culture, communication, or collaboration challenges that make delivering on big education goals harder than it should be, Jonno White delivers Working Genius facilitation, DISC workshops, and leadership offsites for schools and districts. Email jonno@consultclarity.org to start the conversation.

Why Ohio Public Education Matters

Ohio sits at the intersection of almost every major challenge facing American public education right now. It is a large, diverse, and politically contested state where rural, suburban, and urban districts operate under vastly different financial conditions, and where a significant shift in how public education funding flows has put traditional school districts under a level of fiscal pressure not seen in a generation.

Ohio's 3,550 public schools serve students across conditions that vary enormously. Its wealthiest suburban districts routinely score among the best in the nation on state assessments. Its highest-poverty urban and rural districts navigate funding gaps that policy researchers describe as structural and deliberate. According to Ohio DEW's 2024-25 figures, more than 150,000 Ohio students now use public vouchers to attend private schools, a number that has grown dramatically since the universal EdChoice programme removed income eligibility requirements.

For every dollar that follows a student to a private school, traditional public districts face reduced revenue against a largely fixed cost base.

The leaders on this list are working within that reality. Some are fighting to change it through advocacy and research. Some are building the best possible outcomes within the constraints they have. Some are doing both.

For school leadership teams looking to build the team culture and collaborative capacity that allows bold work to continue through difficult circumstances, Jonno White facilitates executive team offsites and leadership workshops for schools across Australia, the UK, the USA, Canada, and New Zealand. International travel is often far more affordable than clients expect. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

How This List Was Compiled

Every person on this list was selected on three criteria. First, documented current contribution to public education in Ohio, whether through district leadership, classroom practice, policy research, advocacy, or community engagement. Second, active public engagement with the ideas that matter most to Ohio's schools right now, including school funding, teacher workforce, equity, literacy, and the ongoing political debates over educational choice. Third, geographic and disciplinary diversity, ensuring the list represents voices from across the state and from practice, policy, research, and advocacy.

Rather than recycling the same small set of names that appear on every national education list, this directory brings together leaders who deserve to be widely known by anyone following public education in Ohio.

State Leadership and Governance

The people who hold formal authority over Ohio's public school system shape the conditions under which every other leader on this list operates. Their decisions on funding formulas, assessment systems, licensure standards, and strategic direction ripple across all 611 districts. Following these leaders means understanding what constraints and mandates are arriving at the district level, and why.

1. Paul Craft

Paul Craft served as Ohio's State Superintendent of Public Instruction from January 2024 until early 2026, bringing a career spanning classroom teaching, district leadership, and executive technology roles in education. Appointed by the State Board of Education in 2024, Craft served as the chief education officer for the state and secretary of the Ohio Board of Education, responsible for implementing state and federal education law across a system serving more than 1.6 million students. He held prior leadership roles at Buckeye Valley Local Schools, Delaware City Schools, and Upper Arlington City Schools, and served as CEO of Metropolitan Educational Technology Association Solutions for three years. His service with the Ohio Army National Guard for more than 30 years shaped his approach to organisational leadership and resilience.

Craft's public positioning on educator workforce quality was consistent throughout his tenure. At the announcement of Chris Monsour as the 2026 Ohio Teacher of the Year, Craft framed teacher quality as the state's most critical priority, stating publicly that Ohio's commitment to having excellent educators in every classroom was what his tenure was designed to advance. In March 2026, Craft was announced as the new Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, taking his commitment to educator workforce quality into a new national role serving the children of America's military families.

2. Steve Dackin

Steve Dackin serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, the cabinet-level state agency responsible for primary and secondary public education in Ohio following the 2023 restructuring under House Bill 33. That legislation transferred most of the duties of the former State Board of Education to the newly created DEW, placing Dackin at the helm of the most significant restructuring of Ohio's education governance in a generation. The department is responsible for implementing standardised tests required by state and federal law, overseeing Ohio's school report card system, and setting strategic direction for the state's 611 public school districts.

Dackin's remarks at the 2024 Ohio STEM Innovation Summit reflected the DEW's commitment to preparing the next generation of innovators, framing STEM education as central to Ohio's workforce and economic future. His role in the governance transition from the elected State Board model to the governor-appointed director model places him at the centre of ongoing debates about democratic accountability in public education.

3. Paul LaRue

Paul LaRue serves as President of the State Board of Education of Ohio, the elected body that works alongside the State Superintendent to set direction for Ohio's public schools. His leadership of the board's unanimous vote to confirm Paul Craft as State Superintendent in late 2023 signalled a board-superintendent alignment on educator workforce development as a priority. LaRue has been a consistent public voice on the relationship between teacher quality and student outcomes, framing strong educator pipelines as the foundation of a strong system.

LaRue's influence extends beyond formal votes. His public commentary on the state's approach to teacher preparation and retention has shaped how the state frames workforce conversations, and his ongoing presence in policy discussions makes him a figure worth following for anyone tracking how state-level governance translates into district-level reality.

4. Michael Cole

As Board of Education President for Columbus City Schools, Michael Cole leads the governance body of Ohio's largest public school district, serving more than 46,000 students. Cole was elected by his board peers in January 2025, bringing more than 12 years of passionate advocacy for public education at the local, state, and national levels. He has worked with the Federal Legislative Advocacy Group, the Consortium of State School Boards Associations, and the Council of Great City Schools, advocating for increased federal funding for students with disabilities, career-technical education, and affordable higher education access.

Cole has made numerous appearances on national and local news programmes, including Fox National News and local Columbus media, bringing the voice of Columbus's school board into state and national conversations about public school funding and governance at a moment when both are under significant stress.

5. Sara Elaqad

Sara Elaqad chairs the Board of Education for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Ohio's second largest urban district serving nearly 40,000 students under a unique mayoral governance model. Her role as board chair placed her at the centre of one of the most consequential education restructuring decisions in recent Ohio history: the approval of a major consolidation plan in December 2025 that reduced the district by 29 fewer schools in response to years of declining enrollment and fiscal pressure.

Elaqad has been a visible public communicator throughout the Building Brighter Futures initiative, helping explain the rationale for significant change to families and communities who stood to be directly affected. Her willingness to speak clearly about difficult tradeoffs in a public governance setting reflects school board leadership that connects institutional decisions to community accountability.

Urban District Leadership

Ohio's largest cities operate some of the most complex public school systems in the United States, serving high concentrations of students experiencing poverty and diverse linguistic and cultural communities. The superintendents and leaders of these systems carry enormous responsibility and make decisions that affect hundreds of thousands of families in communities that have the most to gain from high-quality public education.

6. Angela Chapman, Ed.D.

Angela Chapman has served as Superintendent/CEO of Columbus City Schools since 2023, leading Ohio's largest public school district through a period of severe fiscal challenge. A 25-year public education veteran with a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Tennessee State University, Chapman joined Columbus City Schools in 2019 as Chief of Transformation and Leadership and built a principal pipeline aligned with the district's Portrait of a Graduate before ascending to the superintendent role. Her belief that providing high-quality education is a civil right has been the consistent thread through her public communications as the district navigates a structural funding challenge that, without significant intervention, could leave Columbus City Schools insolvent within several years.

Prior to Columbus, Chapman led 78 elementary schools as an Instructional Superintendent in Washington D.C.'s public schools, making her one of the most operationally experienced urban district leaders in Ohio's history. She has spoken at town halls, in media interviews, and in advocacy settings about the relationship between Ohio's school funding formula and the district's ability to sustain its programmes for children.

7. Warren Morgan, Ed.D.

Warren Morgan is CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the only Ohio district governed by mayoral appointment, leading a system of nearly 40,000 students and more than 6,500 staff. Appointed by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and the school board in 2023, Morgan grew up on Chicago's south side attending schools with similar demographics to CMSD, giving him a personal framework for what equitable education can and cannot do for children. His Building Brighter Futures initiative, unveiled in November 2025, proposed a major restructuring of the district's school portfolio in response to declining enrollment and fiscal sustainability concerns.

The board approved a consolidation plan in December 2025 that reduced the district by 29 schools, a bold and contested decision that Morgan championed as necessary for the district's long-term stability. His actively maintained LinkedIn presence and his public engagement at school visits, press conferences, and community events make him one of the most visible urban education leaders in Ohio.

8. Mary Outley

Mary Outley was appointed Superintendent of Akron Public Schools in April 2025, stepping into the role after 34 years of service to the district as a kindergarten teacher, building principal, and Executive Director of School Leadership. An Akron native and Buchtel High School graduate who earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Akron, Outley brings an unusual continuity of place to the superintendent's role. The board's choice to appoint her without a national search reflected confidence in her deep institutional knowledge and community relationships.

Outley delivered her first State of the Akron Public Schools address in March 2026 to more than 400 people, establishing herself as a candid and community-connected communicator. She is a graduate of Leadership Akron Class 37, a past president of the Akron Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the recipient of the Summit County Education Celebration Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting a career of sustained community contribution.

9. Shauna Murphy

Shauna Murphy was permanently appointed Superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools in November 2024, becoming the leader of Ohio's second largest public school district serving more than 35,000 students across 66 schools. A Cincinnati native who spent 34 years inside the district in roles from substitute teacher to English teacher, principal at three schools, assistant superintendent, and chief of community engagement, Murphy brings extraordinary institutional continuity to the role. The Cincinnati Regional Chamber named her a 2026 We Are Making Black History honoree, recognising her dedication to students and quality public education.

In her first full year as superintendent, Murphy declared a new era for Cincinnati Public Schools, overseeing a growth plan that introduced education corridors for school choice, new middle schools, and expanded gifted and multilingual programming. She has set concrete 2025-26 goals including raising third-grade reading proficiency from 55.7 to 59.7 percent, bringing measurable accountability to her leadership agenda.

10. Dr. Robert Hill

Robert Hill has served as Superintendent of Springfield City Schools since 2015, leading a district that found itself at the centre of national attention in 2024 when the city of Springfield became a topic at the U.S. presidential debate. Named as one of five recipients of the Ohio Superintendent Award of Excellence in 2025, Hill has built a reputation for decisive leadership under pressure, keeping student and staff safety at the forefront when circumstances outside the school created extraordinary demands on the district community.

His signature initiatives include the Leader in Me leadership framework and a Health Centre at Springfield High School, combining academic and community health resources to serve students holistically. Hill's ability to lead through national scrutiny while maintaining focus on students inside the building makes him one of the more distinctive figures in Ohio district leadership.

Policy Research and Advocacy

The people who produce research and build the evidentiary case for Ohio education policy decisions are as important as any administrator in shaping what happens to students. Ohio has a rich ecosystem of education policy organisations across the ideological spectrum, and the researchers and advocates leading that work deserve to be followed closely by anyone who wants to understand why Ohio's education system looks the way it does.

11. Aaron Churchill

Aaron Churchill is the Ohio Research Director at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where he has worked since 2012, producing research and commentary on state assessment and school accountability, school funding, educational choice, and Ohio's charter school sector. His work appears regularly in Ohio media including the Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Dayton Daily News, and Toledo Blade. Churchill's 2026 analysis of Ohio's school enrollment trends and his commentary on the state's approach to funding empty seats were among Fordham Ohio's most-read pieces of the year.

Churchill's co-authored research on the EdChoice programme's impact on district enrollments, finances, and academics is among the most cited empirical studies on Ohio's voucher system, providing quantitative grounding for a debate that too often proceeds on political assertion rather than evidence.

12. Chad Aldis

Chad Aldis joined the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in 2013 and served as Vice President for Ohio Policy before moving to ExcelinEd as Managing Director of Advocacy, where he continues his work on state education policy from a national platform. During his time at Fordham Ohio, he led the institute's Ohio policy, advocacy, and research agendas and was one of the most prolific commentators on Ohio education policy, writing extensively on school accountability, school funding debates, and the state's school choice architecture.

His 2025 Fordham Ohio piece on the constitutional framing of Ohio's school funding debates became one of the most-read and most debated pieces on the institute's Ohio platform. His combination of deep Ohio-specific knowledge and national advocacy positioning continues to influence how Ohio education debates are framed at both the state and national level.

13. Hannah Halbert

Hannah Halbert is Executive Director of Policy Matters Ohio, a nonpartisan nonprofit research institute working to build a more vibrant, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive Ohio through research, strategic communications, coalition building, and policy advocacy. She joined the organisation in 2010 and has led it through a period of significant public engagement on education funding equity. Halbert has been one of the most visible public voices defending Ohio's public school system during the 2025 budget cycle, testifying before the House Education Committee and publicly challenging the state's decision to abandon the Fair School Funding Plan.

Her clear, evidence-based communication style and her direct framing of what the state's budget choices mean for Ohio's 1,532,197 public school students make Policy Matters Ohio one of the most influential progressive research organisations shaping Ohio's education debate.

14. Wendy Patton

Wendy Patton is a Senior Project Director at Policy Matters Ohio with a sustained focus on education funding equity. Her research has documented the ways in which Ohio's school funding formula produces dramatically different outcomes for high-poverty and low-poverty districts, and her analytical work on the Fair School Funding Plan provided crucial evidentiary support for the bipartisan legislative effort to reform school funding that succeeded in 2021 before being abandoned in subsequent budget cycles.

Her continued research through the 2025 budget cycle, showing that more than 60 percent of districts seeing funding increases under the new budget have very low or low poverty levels while the highest-poverty districts face cuts, has been central to the public debate about what the state's budget choices mean for educational equity.

15. Howard Fleeter, Ph.D.

Howard Fleeter is the founder of the Ohio Education Policy Institute and one of the foremost independent experts on Ohio school funding formulas. His research on property tax trends, state and local school funding shares, and the constitutional history of Ohio's school funding litigation is used as reference material by school boards, advocacy organisations, and legislative staff across the political spectrum. His 2025 update to his foundational property tax trend analysis, incorporating data from tax year 2023, provides critical historical context for current budget debates.

The Ohio School Boards Association regularly circulates Fleeter's reports to member districts as essential background reading for budget planning and advocacy. His independence from any single advocacy position, combined with decades of accumulated institutional knowledge, makes him the rare education policy researcher cited by organisations on both sides of Ohio's school funding debate.

16. Jessica Poiner

Jessica Poiner is an Ohio Policy Researcher at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, producing analysis and commentary on Ohio education policy with a particular focus on school accountability, literacy, and academic quality. Her work in 2025 and 2026 has engaged directly with Ohio's implementation of the science of reading framework, the state's accountability system, and the implications of the 2025 budget for school quality measures. She is among the most active content producers on Fordham Ohio's platform, with multiple pieces published in the spring of 2026.

Poiner's practical, evidence-grounded writing style and her focus on what policy changes mean for students inside classrooms distinguish her commentary from more abstract policy analysis, making her work particularly useful for educators and school leaders trying to understand the policy environment they operate within.

17. Jeff Murray

Jeff Murray serves as an Ohio Policy Analyst at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, contributing research and analysis on Ohio education policy with a particular focus on school choice, accountability, and educational governance. His work has included supporting major Fordham Ohio research projects on EdChoice and school district finances, and his public communications work ensures that research findings reach policymakers, educators, and community members across the state.

Murray's analytical contributions, produced from the institute's Columbus base, have helped make Fordham Ohio one of the most data-rich education policy voices in the state, providing quantitative grounding for policy debates that too often proceed on rhetoric alone.

Teacher and Union Leadership

The educators who represent Ohio's teachers, advocate for their working conditions, and stand at the intersection of classroom practice and public policy play an essential role in shaping what education looks and feels like for the 95,000-plus teachers working in Ohio public schools. Their voices belong in any serious examination of who is shaping Ohio public education.

18. Scott DiMauro

Scott DiMauro is President of the Ohio Education Association, the largest education union in the state, representing more than 122,000 teachers, faculty members, and support professionals. A high school social studies teacher from Worthington who was elected OEA president in 2019 after six years as vice president, DiMauro brings 32 years of classroom experience to the advocacy role. He helped lead the successful coalition effort that resulted in the historic passage of the Fair School Funding Plan and an increase in the state minimum teacher salary.

His testimony before the Ohio Senate Finance Committee in 2025, which argued that the Senate version of the budget failed to adequately update the formula's base costs, was among the most forceful public challenges to the legislature's budget approach. DiMauro writes regular commentary in the Ohio Capital Journal and other Ohio media, making him one of the most visible public voices for Ohio's public school educators.

19. Jeff Wensing

Jeff Wensing serves as Vice President of the Ohio Education Association alongside his role as a high school mathematics teacher in Parma City Schools. A former president of the Parma Education Association and the North Eastern Ohio Education Association, Wensing brings deep local affiliate experience to the state leadership role. His presence in the OEA's leadership has been central to the organisation's response to the 2025 state budget cycle, including advocacy for restoring Fair School Funding Plan provisions stripped from the final budget.

Wensing represents the kind of practitioner-leader who connects classroom experience with statewide policy advocacy in ways that give teacher union arguments their most credible foundation. His background in local union leadership before ascending to the state level gives him an unusually grounded perspective on what teachers across Ohio are experiencing day to day.

20. Airica Clay

Airica Clay serves as Executive Director of the Ohio Education Association, appointed to the role in 2025 following the OEA's Spring Representative Assembly. In this role, she leads the operational and strategic functions of the organisation that supports 122,000 education professionals across the state. Clay addressed delegates at the 2025 Spring RA, bringing a fresh leadership perspective to an organisation facing significant external pressures from state budget decisions and federal education policy shifts.

Her appointment signals a generational transition in OEA's internal leadership at a critical moment for Ohio public education. Her presence at the helm of the organisation's operational functions will shape how effectively OEA mobilises its membership through the current advocacy cycle.

21. Pat Shipe

Pat Shipe serves as President of the Akron Education Association, the labour organisation representing more than 2,000 teachers and staff in Akron Public Schools. At a community forum held at Firestone Community Learning Center in April 2026, Shipe delivered one of the most direct public diagnoses of Ohio's school funding problem, arguing that the state has created a deeply inequitable education system where public schools are expected to serve every child under the most stringent rules while other systems operate with far greater flexibility and far less accountability.

That forum, attended by educators, parents, and community members, positioned the AEA as a community anchor for public education advocacy in Summit County. Shipe's willingness to speak plainly about structural inequities in Ohio's funding system makes her one of the most important local union voices in the state.

22. Lois Carson

Lois Carson is President of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, representing more than 35,000 classified school employees including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, and paraprofessionals across Ohio's public school system. Her advocacy work alongside OEA President Scott DiMauro, including joint commentary in the Ohio Capital Journal on the substitute teacher shortage and education funding, reflects the cross-union coordination that gives Ohio's education labour movement its breadth.

Carson's focus on the workers who keep school buildings running, a population often invisible in education policy debates, represents a crucial perspective in conversations about what public schools need to function. Her public advocacy places the experience of classified staff at the centre of the school funding conversation.

23. Shari Obrenski

Shari Obrenski serves as President of the Cleveland Teachers Union, representing educators at the centre of CMSD's ongoing transformation. Her presence at the announcement of CMSD's Excellence in Teaching Award winners alongside CEO Warren Morgan in September 2025 reflects a working relationship between union and administration that is notable in a major urban district navigating significant structural change.

Obrenski has been a visible advocate for Cleveland's public school teachers through the district's restructuring period, navigating the tension between supporting the workforce through change and advocating for working conditions that make sustainable teaching possible. Her role requires balancing institutional partnership with principled advocacy, a challenge she has met in public.

Classroom Excellence

The teachers and principals doing daily work in Ohio's classrooms are the ground-level leaders whose choices most directly shape what students experience. Several Ohio educators have earned statewide recognition for their work in 2024-2026 and bring active public voices to the profession. Following these educators means staying connected to what great teaching and school leadership looks like at the building level.

24. Chris Monsour

Chris Monsour is the 2026 Ohio Teacher of the Year, a high school biology, environmental science, and anatomy and physiology teacher at Columbian High School in the Tiffin City School District. State Superintendent Paul Craft surprised Monsour with the announcement at a school assembly, framing his sustained commitment as exactly the kind of teaching that Ohio needs to sustain. Monsour has spent the 2025-26 school year travelling the state and the country as a representative of Ohio's public school educators, sharing his message about perseverance and staying the course.

Monsour has been featured in Ohio Schools magazine and is a regular voice on the Public Education Matters podcast. His 27-year classroom career and his willingness to share his story of unexpected entry into teaching make him a compelling and accessible voice on what great teaching looks and feels like in Ohio's public schools.

25. Danee Pinckney

Danee Pinckney is the 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year, an English teacher at Twinsburg High School in Twinsburg City Schools. Her selection reflects recognition of her ability to build relationships with students, advocate for their literacy development, and model the instructional excellence that the state is working to scale through its science of reading investments. Pinckney served as an ambassador for public education through the 2024-25 school year, engaging with teachers, administrators, and policymakers across Ohio.

Her focus on high school English instruction and literacy equity in a Northeast Ohio suburban district brings a perspective on adolescent literacy that complements the elementary-focused science of reading work that dominates state policy attention. Pinckney's profile as a classroom teacher who is also a policy-engaged public figure is rare and valuable in Ohio's education conversation.

26. Mark Lowrie

Mark Lowrie is the 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year, a broadcast journalism teacher at Gahanna Lincoln High School in the Gahanna-Jefferson City School District. His classroom is a working newsroom where students produce real journalism, developing communication and critical thinking skills that transfer across every domain of adult life. Lowrie's recognition as Ohio's 2024 teacher of the year highlights the contribution that career-technical and elective course offerings make to comprehensive student development.

His willingness to engage publicly with questions about what purpose education serves and what it means to prepare students for life rather than just for tests has made him a thoughtful and distinctive voice in the profession. His work at Gahanna Lincoln has made the school's journalism programme a model for student-driven media education in Ohio.

27. Kyle von Kamp

Kyle von Kamp is the 2026 State Board District 2 Teacher of the Year, a middle school American history and English as a Second Language teacher at Willard City Schools. His educational journey reflects a deep commitment to experiential learning, particularly for multilingual and underserved student populations. In 2025, von Kamp celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Willard Revolutionary War Reenactment and Encampment, an immersive programme that brings history to life for students in ways no textbook can replicate.

Previously named the Ohio Daughters of the American Revolution Outstanding American History Teacher and a Jennings Scholar Award recipient, von Kamp's career in a small Ohio city reflects the sustained, passionate teaching that defines the educators most deserving of statewide recognition. His work with multilingual learners adds an equity dimension that is increasingly important as Ohio's student demographics continue to shift.

28. Michael Martin, Ed.D.

Michael Martin was named the 2024 Ohio High School Principal of the Year, an honour recognising more than 20 years of leadership in public education. He has since founded Smart Tools; Smart Schools, a consulting and speaking platform focused on modernising instruction, culture, and systems for schools and districts. Martin is the author of AI Powered Leadership, has served as a panelist for Education Week on artificial intelligence in education, and specialises in strategic school transformation, technology integration, and the design of STEAM labs and career pathways.

His transition from recognised Ohio practitioner to active author and thought leader positions him as a bridge between building-level leadership demands and the innovation frameworks reshaping how districts think about instruction and systems change. His NREA Advisory Committee work connects his expertise to rural and small-district contexts across the country.

29. Stacy Tennenbaum

Stacy Tennenbaum is the 2025 OAESA Principal of the Year, serving as principal of Fairfield Elementary School in Pickerington Local Schools. Selected by her colleagues for achievements above and beyond what is expected in the role, Tennenbaum represents the kind of building-level leadership that often goes unrecognised in public education discussions dominated by district and state-level figures.

Her recognition from Ohio's professional community of elementary school administrators reflects a body of work that has made her a trusted figure in the PreK-8 leadership space. Exceptional elementary principals shape a school's culture, instructional quality, and relationship with families in ways that compound over years, and Tennenbaum's statewide recognition signals exactly that kind of sustained, consequential work.

30. Michael King

Michael King is the 2025 Ohio High School Principal of the Year, serving as principal at Geneva High School in Northeast Ohio. Selected through the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators recognition process, King's recognition reflects peer assessment of exceptional leadership at the high school level, the tier of schooling where retention, graduation, and post-secondary preparation converge in ways that determine students' life trajectories.

King's work in building a high-functioning school culture in a community facing economic constraints common to many smaller Ohio cities reflects the kind of leadership that produces results through intentional culture-building and clear priorities rather than through abundant resources. His statewide recognition makes him a role model for high school principals across the state.

31. Misty Goetz

Misty Goetz is the 2025 Ohio Middle School Principal of the Year, serving as principal at Milford Junior High School. Her recognition by the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators reflects leadership that has had measurable impact on student outcomes, school culture, and staff development at the grade level that research consistently identifies as the highest-risk transition point in a student's educational journey.

Middle school leadership is often considered the most challenging tier of school administration, requiring simultaneous attention to adolescent development, academic rigour, and the social dynamics of early adolescence. Goetz's statewide recognition places her among the most respected building-level leaders in Ohio's public schools, and her work at Milford provides a model for excellence in the middle grades.

Research, Universities, and Early Childhood

Ohio's universities and research institutions contribute to public education through the production of knowledge, the training of future educators and administrators, and the direct policy engagement of their faculty. Early childhood education, consistently identified as the highest-return investment in human development, has its own community of advocates and researchers in Ohio whose work deserves wider attention from anyone thinking seriously about the long-term health of Ohio's public school system.

32. Joshua Hawley, Ph.D.

Joshua Hawley is a Professor in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University and Director of the Ohio Education Research Center, which conducts research on policy and practice in Ohio from preschool through workforce. He also serves as Associate Director for the Centre for Human Resource Research at Ohio State and is a former Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Higher School of Economics. The OERC's research provides the independent, peer-reviewed evidence base that Ohio policymakers, district leaders, and advocates draw on when debating policy choices across the full education pipeline.

Hawley's work bridges the worlds of academic research and public policy in ways that are essential to the quality of Ohio's education governance. His position at the Glenn College, which focuses specifically on public affairs and public service leadership, positions his education research at the intersection of schooling and civic accountability.

33. Karen Stansberry Beard, Ph.D.

Karen Stansberry Beard is a Professor of Educational Administration in the Department of Educational Studies at The Ohio State University, and has served as President of the University Council for Educational Administration, carrying on Ohio State's legacy in the leadership of one of the most important national organisations in educational leadership preparation. Her research focuses on educational leadership development and the preparation of principals and superintendents, connecting directly to the pipeline challenges that Ohio and every other state face.

Her work at Ohio State shapes the next generation of Ohio's educational administrators, making her influence felt across the state's leadership pipeline in ways that are less visible but no less consequential than the work of sitting superintendents. For more on the school leadership pipeline challenge, read '25 Crucial Fixes for School Leadership Pipeline Collapse' at consultclarity.org/post/school-leadership-pipeline-collapse.

34. Lynanne Gutierrez

Lynanne Gutierrez is President and CEO of Groundwork Ohio, a committed, nonpartisan, nonprofit public-policy research and advocacy organisation that advances quality early learning and development as the most transformative strategy to improve school outcomes and the life-long success of Ohio's children. Gutierrez has elevated Groundwork's impact and credibility in the state's policy environment while leading a significant expansion of community engagement and regional outreach work. Under her leadership, Groundwork Ohio hosted regional events across the state in 2025 and 2026, connecting families, early childhood professionals, and policymakers around shared early childhood priorities.

Her legal background, her deep commitment to equity for young children, and her increasing influence in Ohio's policy landscape make her one of the most important early childhood education voices in the state. Groundwork Ohio's research platform gives Gutierrez evidence-grounded advocacy capacity that few Ohio education leaders can match.

35. Kelly Gaier Evans

Kelly Gaier Evans serves as Director of the Ohio STEM Learning Network at Battelle, managing a public-private partnership with the State of Ohio focused on advancing STEM education and workforce preparation. Under her leadership, the Ohio STEM Innovation Summit has grown into one of the largest gatherings of STEM educators in the Midwest, selling out for the second consecutive year in 2024 with more than 400 tickets sold, a 25 percent increase from the prior year. She oversees the network's STEM Excellence Awards, which recognise outstanding teachers, school leaders, and education advocates across the state.

Gaier Evans's work sits at the intersection of education and workforce, connecting what happens in Ohio classrooms to the skills that Ohio's economy will need over the next generation. The Ohio STEM Learning Network's role as a bridge between Battelle's scientific expertise and the state's public school system gives her a unique convening position in Ohio's education landscape.

Community, Advocacy, and Independent Voices

Ohio's public education community extends beyond formal institutions to include independent advocates, community organisers, school board members, and district-level leaders whose work shapes public understanding and political will. These voices often carry the ideas that shift the conversation and build the coalitions that make change possible. Following them means staying connected to how the education debate is being fought and won at the ground level.

36. Barbara Sykes

Barbara Sykes serves as President of the Akron Public Schools Board of Education, overseeing governance of one of Ohio's major urban districts during a period of leadership transition and fiscal pressure. At the April 2026 community forum on EdChoice vouchers and school funding, Sykes was a visible and vocal advocate for public education, framing the voucher programme's expansion as a fundamental threat to the district's ability to serve every child in Akron. Her willingness to speak plainly about structural inequities in Ohio's funding system at a public forum attended by parents and community members reflects school board leadership that connects institutional governance to community accountability.

Sykes and her board colleagues carry the task of providing governance continuity for Akron Public Schools as Superintendent Outley builds her leadership team and works through a long list of community priorities in a district that has experienced significant leadership turbulence.

37. Steve Wood

Steve Wood serves as Superintendent of Tallmadge City Schools in Summit County and was a featured speaker at the April 2026 community forum on EdChoice vouchers and public school funding. His public framing of the property tax dimension of school funding, and his argument that school funding debates have become lightning rods for anti-tax sentiment rather than genuine conversations about educational values, reflects the kind of honest political analysis that is rarely heard from sitting superintendents who have to work within the political environment they are also critiquing.

Wood's willingness to speak plainly in a public forum alongside teachers, union leaders, and community advocates, rather than from behind institutional caution, positions him as a truth-telling voice in Northeast Ohio's education community. His perspective as a suburban superintendent sits between the political pressures of urban and rural school funding debates, giving his analysis a distinctive vantage point.

38. Paul Otten

Paul Otten has served as Superintendent of Beavercreek City Schools since July 2016 and was named the 2026 Ohio Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. The award recognises excellence across four areas: Leadership for Learning, Communication, Professionalism, and Community Involvement. Board President Jo Ann Rigano described Otten as exemplifying visionary leadership and noted his ability to listen to community members, develop innovative solutions, and keep students at the centre of every decision.

Otten's initiatives include establishing the district's Air Force Junior ROTC programme and implementing Career Technology Education pathways that diversify how students connect schooling to future possibilities. As the 2026 Ohio Superintendent of the Year, he advances to compete for National Superintendent of the Year, representing Ohio among the country's most accomplished educational leaders.

39. Dione Somerville, Ed.D.

Dione Somerville is President of Owens Community College, a premier two-year institution serving students across Northwest Ohio, and host of an award-winning podcast featuring leaders in education, public service, business, and civic life. Her podcast has built an audience well beyond the traditional higher education community and positioned Somerville as a connector between higher education leadership and the broader conversation about education's role in Northwest Ohio's future.

Somerville's voice at the intersection of higher education access, community development, and public service makes her a distinctive presence in Ohio's education leadership community. Her podcast model, bringing community leaders into honest conversation about education and civic life, reflects a public engagement approach that more education leaders at every level would benefit from studying.

40. Katie Olmsted

Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association and is the host of Public Education Matters, the OEA's flagship podcast, which she has been producing since May 2020. A former Emmy Award-winning television reporter, anchor, and producer with a family background in education, Olmsted brings professional journalism skills to the work of amplifying the stories of Ohio's public school educators. The podcast covers the 2026 Ohio Teacher of the Year, Ohio's school funding crisis, the EdChoice voucher expansion, and dozens of other topics central to Ohio's education debates.

Olmsted's ability to translate complex education policy into accessible, human-centred storytelling makes her one of the most effective communicators in Ohio's public education space. For anyone wanting to stay current with what is happening in Ohio's public schools in a format that is genuinely engaging rather than dense, Public Education Matters is the place to start.

41. Paul Young

Paul Young is a Past President of both OAESA and NAESP, and recipient of the 2025 OAESA Samuel R. Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the advancement of educational leadership focused on PreK-8 schooling. Young's career in Lancaster City Schools and his subsequent work in national principal preparation and leadership advocacy have built a body of contribution that spans decades and continues through mentorship and professional engagement with the next generation of school leaders.

His recognition by the Ohio elementary education administration community reflects a lifetime of service that has shaped how Ohio's elementary school principals think about their professional identity and their responsibilities to students, families, and communities. Young represents the tradition of educator statesmanship that every professional community needs to sustain its direction and values across generations.

42. Wanda Lash, Ph.D.

Wanda Lash serves as Assistant Superintendent at Akron Public Schools with more than 20 years invested in public education. Her long tenure within the district spans leadership, curriculum, and instructional support roles, and her presence in the district's senior leadership team alongside Superintendent Outley reflects the depth of institutional experience available internally during a significant period of transition.

Lash's educational leadership background and her sustained commitment to public education in Akron give her a perspective that combines deep local knowledge with professional expertise. Her role as a senior leader in one of Ohio's major urban districts makes her a consequential figure in the daily work of educating Akron's children.

43. Julie Willoughby

Julie Willoughby serves as Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Urbana City Schools and was named the 2025 OAESA Outstanding Central Office Administrator, recognised by colleagues for achievements above and beyond what is expected in the role. Her work in curriculum and instruction at a smaller Ohio district reflects the specialised expertise essential to the quality of instruction in districts that cannot afford the deep central office staffing of larger systems.

Willoughby's recognition positions her as a model for what effective curriculum leadership looks like in a mid-sized Ohio district, connecting state literacy and content standards to the instructional reality of individual classrooms in a rural and small-city community. Her profile within the OAESA community represents the broader story of excellence distributed across Ohio's full range of district types and sizes.

44. Kimberly Beard

Kimberly Beard serves as Assistant Principal at Mercer Elementary School in Forest Hills Schools and was named the 2025 OAESA Outstanding Second-in-Command Administrator, recognised for leadership that goes well above and beyond what is expected of an auxiliary administrator in PreK-8 schooling. Her recognition by her professional peers reflects a body of building-level work that has made her a trusted figure in the Ohio elementary school administration community.

The assistant principal role is where Ohio's next generation of school leaders develops the skills, relationships, and judgement that will define their future tenures as principals and superintendents. Beard's statewide recognition signals the kind of growth-oriented leadership that makes school leadership pipelines function, and her work at Forest Hills Schools provides a model for excellence at this critical career stage.

45. Kevin Gehres

Kevin Gehres is a retired principal from Van Wert City Schools and recipient of the 2025 OAESA D. Richard Murray Award, which recognises outstanding service benefiting administrators and the children they serve in Ohio's schools. The Murray Award is named for a former OAESA Executive Director and is presented to individuals who have provided exceptional contribution to education administration over a sustained period.

Gehres's recognition from the Ohio elementary education administration community reflects a career of contribution to the schools of Van Wert, a small city in Northwest Ohio that faces many of the economic and demographic pressures common to rural and small-city Ohio districts. His body of work represents the many excellent educators who build long careers in smaller Ohio communities and whose contribution is essential to the health of the state's education ecosystem.

46. Kareem Moffett

Kareem Moffett serves as Board of Education President for Cincinnati Public Schools, overseeing governance of Ohio's second largest public school district as it navigates a period of major restructuring under Superintendent Shauna Murphy. Under his board leadership, the district has approved a significant growth plan, passed operating budgets addressing a $51 million gap, expanded gifted and multilingual programming, and publicly challenged the Trump administration on DEI-related guidance affecting Cincinnati's public schools.

His role at the governance level of one of Ohio's largest districts places him at the intersection of educational governance, community accountability, and political advocacy. Board presidents at major urban districts carry both formal authority and symbolic leadership responsibility for how a district is perceived by its community, and Moffett's public profile reflects active engagement with both dimensions of that responsibility.

47. Sara Dreibelbis

Sara Dreibelbis is a fifth-grade teacher at Eliza Northrop Elementary School in Medina, Ohio, and one of the four finalists for the 2026 Ohio Teacher of the Year, selected from the cohort of 11 State Board District Teachers of the Year. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and a Master's in Elementary Education from the University of Akron. Her selection as a finalist from a statewide pool, assessed by a panel of 13 education professionals, signals recognition of instructional excellence and professional contribution that extends beyond the classroom.

Dreibelbis's work in Medina City Schools represents the contribution of Northeast Ohio's suburban public school teachers to statewide instructional quality. Her profile as a classroom teacher elevated to statewide recognition through a rigorous peer-assessment process makes her a voice worth following for anyone interested in what exceptional elementary teaching looks like in Ohio's public schools.

48. Lynanne Gutierrez (see 34)

48. Katie Olmsted (see 40)

Notable Voices We Almost Included

Several nationally prominent figures whose work has shaped American education discourse appear on nearly every list of education thought leaders, and for good reason. Names including John Hattie, whose research synthesis on what works in education has been foundational, and Linda Darling-Hammond, whose work on teaching quality has shaped teacher preparation standards across the country, reflect genuine and important contributions to the field. We chose to give the space in this directory to Ohio-based leaders whose work is directly shaping the Buckeye State right now.

Within Ohio itself, several leaders whose roles are primarily higher education-facing rather than K-12 focused did not make the final list despite significant contributions to the state's education ecosystem. The boundary between higher education and K-12 public education is less sharp than any single list can fully capture, and their work deserves recognition in its own right.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Engaging with Ohio Public Education

The most common mistake made by outsiders engaging with Ohio's education debates is treating it as a simple left-right political story. Ohio's public education landscape is more complex than that. Some of the most important advocacy for strong public schools has come from bipartisan coalitions. The Fair School Funding Plan, before it was abandoned, was itself a bipartisan achievement.

Understanding Ohio's education debates requires looking past the political shorthand and engaging with the actual policy mechanics.

A related mistake is assuming that what works in Ohio's wealthiest suburban districts is a template for urban or rural schools. The per-pupil funding differences between Ohio's highest and lowest wealth districts are significant and structural. Policy solutions that assume equivalent resources are not solutions at all for the communities that need them most.

Many people who engage with Ohio education from outside the state underestimate the significance of the EdChoice voucher expansion. Ohio's shift to a universal voucher programme, available regardless of family income or the quality of the student's assigned public school, represents one of the most significant school choice policy changes in American education history. The debate about its effects on public school finances, student outcomes, and the social compact around public education is not settled, and the leaders on this list are among the most credible sources for understanding both sides of that debate.

School board governance is another area where outsiders often miss important dynamics. Ohio's school boards are locally elected bodies with significant formal authority, but their power is constrained by state funding formulas, state assessment requirements, and an increasingly assertive state legislature. Understanding the difference between what a school board formally controls and what it actually has the power to change is essential to understanding Ohio's education system and the leaders navigating it.

Finally, the assumption that Ohio's rural schools face different but manageable challenges compared to its urban districts misses the severity of enrollment decline, funding instability, and principal and teacher pipeline shortfalls that many of Ohio's small and rural districts are navigating right now. Rural education in Ohio deserves as much serious attention as urban education in any honest account of the state's public school system.

Taking Action: How to Follow and Engage with Ohio's Public Education Leaders

The most direct way to follow these leaders is to connect with them on LinkedIn, where most are active. For the researchers and think tank staff on this list, subscribing to their organisations' newsletters and blog posts provides the most consistent access to their work. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute's Ohio Gadfly Daily, Policy Matters Ohio's email updates, and Groundwork Ohio's publications are all freely available and publish regularly on the topics that matter most to Ohio's public schools.

For those in or near Ohio's public education community, attending school board meetings is one of the highest-signal ways to understand what is actually happening at the district level. Board meetings are public, and the conversations that happen in them, including budget presentations, policy debates, and community testimony, provide a level of granular insight into district conditions that no secondary source can replicate.

The Public Education Matters podcast, hosted by Katie Olmsted and produced by the OEA, is one of the most accessible entry points for understanding what is happening in Ohio's public schools. Episodes typically run 30-60 minutes, feature people working directly inside Ohio's education system, and cover both the policy debates and the human stories that give those debates their meaning.

For school leadership teams looking to build the culture, communication, and collaboration that allows great work to continue through difficult circumstances, the Working Genius framework is one of the most practical and immediately applicable tools available. Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator who works with school and district leadership teams to help them understand how each person contributes, where frustrations arise, and how to build a team that functions at a higher level. Jonno has worked with schools across Australia, the UK, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, and beyond.

Book Jonno White to facilitate a Working Genius workshop, a DISC communication session, or an executive team offsite for your school or district. Email jonno@consultclarity.org. International travel is often far more affordable than clients expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

How was this list compiled?

Every person on this list was selected on the basis of three criteria: documented current contribution to public education in Ohio, active public engagement with the ideas that matter most to Ohio's schools right now, and geographic and disciplinary diversity. The list draws from state governance, urban district leadership, policy research, union leadership, classroom practice, school administration, and early childhood advocacy to reflect the full range of people shaping Ohio public education.

Why does the list include policy researchers alongside classroom teachers?

Because both groups are shaping Ohio public education, just at different scales. The policy researchers and advocates on this list are producing the analyses, making the arguments, and building the coalitions that determine what resources flow to classrooms and what policies govern how those classrooms operate. Understanding Ohio public education requires following both the practitioners and the policy architects.

Is this list politically balanced?

The list includes leaders from across the ideological spectrum who are genuinely contributing to Ohio public education. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which appears on this list, is a centre-right education policy organisation. Policy Matters Ohio, which also appears, is a progressive research organisation.

Both produce rigorous, cited research on Ohio education. Following both, and understanding where they agree and where they diverge, is more valuable than choosing a side.

How can I stay current with Ohio education news?

The Ohio Capital Journal provides excellent independent journalism on Ohio state governance including education policy. Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland covers Northeast Ohio education with strong depth. Signal Akron provides detailed coverage of Akron Public Schools. The OEA's Public Education Matters podcast covers statewide education news from the educator perspective.

And the Fordham Institute's Ohio Gadfly Daily provides regular policy analysis from a research-focused standpoint.

Can I hire someone to help my school leadership team work better together?

Yes. Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator and bestselling author who works with school and district leadership teams across Australia, the UK, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and beyond. Jonno delivers Working Genius facilitation, DISC workshops, StrengthsFinder sessions, and executive team offsites designed specifically for school leadership teams. To discuss how Jonno can support your team, email jonno@consultclarity.org or visit consultclarity.org.

What is the biggest issue facing Ohio public schools right now?

The most consequential issue is the structural underfunding created by the state's abandonment of the Fair School Funding Plan, which Policy Matters Ohio estimates has left a $2.75 billion gap in what districts were promised. Combined with the expansion of EdChoice vouchers at an unprecedented scale and the threat of federal education funding cuts, Ohio's traditional public school districts are navigating a financial environment that is the most challenging in a generation.

Final Thoughts

Ohio's public education story right now is not a comfortable one. The leaders on this list are navigating a system under real fiscal and political pressure, making decisions that matter enormously for millions of children with limited room to manoeuvre and with a public debate that does not always reflect the complexity of the choices they face.

What makes them worth following is precisely that. Leaders who are doing important work in difficult conditions, who are speaking clearly in public about what is happening and what it means, who are building organisations and classrooms and research programmes that will matter long after the current political moment has shifted, those are the leaders who deserve your attention.

Whether you are an educator in Ohio looking to understand your professional community better, a policymaker or community leader trying to engage more seriously with education debates, or a leader in any sector who recognises that public education shapes the world your organisation operates in, the leaders on this list are the ones to follow.

To explore how Jonno White can support your school or district leadership team through Working Genius facilitation, DISC workshops, or executive team offsites, email jonno@consultclarity.org. Jonno works with schools around the world, and international travel is consistently more affordable than organisations expect.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, bestselling author, and leadership consultant who has worked with schools, corporates, and nonprofits around the world. His book Step Up or Step Out has sold over 10,000 copies globally, and his podcast The Leadership Conversations has featured 230+ episodes reaching listeners in 150+ countries. Jonno founded The 7 Questions Movement with 6,000+ participating leaders and achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating for his Working Genius masterclass at the ASBA 2025 National Conference. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Jonno works globally and regularly travels for speaking and facilitation engagements.

Organisations consistently find that international travel is far more affordable than expected.

To book Jonno for your next keynote, workshop, or facilitation session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

Step Up or Step Out: Managing Conflict and Difficult Conversations (Amazon AU)

Next Read

If this list has been useful, you may also want to explore who is shaping public education at the national level and in other US states. The companion piece on the 50 essential US public education leaders to follow covers the national conversation, including the federal policy environment, the major research organisations, and the district and state leaders whose work is influencing education across the country. Reading both gives you the full picture: the national frameworks and the Ohio-specific people applying, challenging, and building on those frameworks every day.

Keep reading: 50 Essential US Public Education Leaders to Follow

For school leadership teams dealing with the team dynamics and communication challenges that make delivering on difficult education goals harder than it needs to be, Jonno White's work on the leadership pipeline in schools offers a practical framework. For more on this topic, check out the post '25 Crucial Fixes for School Leadership Pipeline Collapse' at consultclarity.org.

25 Crucial Fixes for School Leadership Pipeline Collapse