The Ohio State Board of Education chose Paolo DeMaria as the next state superintendent of public instruction earlier this month. Mr. DeMaria is a former state budget director, education advisor to two governors, high-level staffer with the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents, and a current principal with Education First Consulting. His dedication to improving education is obvious and is matched only by his impeccable qualifications.
Mr. DeMaria brings a calm, thoughtful, and analytical approach to the agency’s work. But there is even more to be glad about in terms of this choice: For the first time in many years, the sitting governor did not send a representative to sit in on candidate interviews for state superintendent. This deliberate move away from the politicization of the selection process is a positive step and may have played a small role in the usually fractious board unanimously selecting Mr. DeMaria (even with a number of other highly qualified candidates from which to choose). Just as impressive, DeMaria scored points with many by asking for a lower base salary than originally offered, to be supplemented by a performance-based bonus option. A class act with important implications.
The selection of Mr. DeMaria drew strong praise from many, including the editors at the Columbus Dispatch. Hopefully, the incoming state superintendent can draw on this goodwill as he tackles the many difficult decisions that come with his new position. He’s likely going to need that support sooner rather than later.
