Richard Ross to lead Ohio Department of Education
Dr. Richard A. Ross has been named the new state superintendent of Public Instruction.
Ross accepted his oath of office at a special swearing-in ceremony during his first official day on the job.
The State Board of Education selected Ross to be Ohio’s top education official and the executive in charge of the Ohio Department of Education during the March meeting.
The selection followed an extensive search and interview process.
According to the Department of Education, "The passion Dr. Richard Ross has for improving education for all children in Ohio is rooted in his own childhood experience when a teacher inspired him to pursue a college degree. He has carried this memory throughout his career as a teacher, principal and district superintendent.
"In any education situation, Dr. Ross searches out educators who possess the gift to improve learning, provide inspiration and make a positive difference in students and their learning."
Formerly the superintendent for three Ohio school districts, Dr. Ross believes in a child-first improvement approach by increasing efficiency and performance, eliminating unpopular ineffective programs and making focused staffing decisions. His ability to motivate educators to grow in skills and commitment so they can serve students better is demonstrated in his 20 years at Reynoldsburg City School District where he significantly improved academic achievement during important shifts in community culture and economics.
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Dr. Ross was selected by the State Board of Education as State Superintendent of Public Instruction in March 2013. He had been leading Gov. John Kasich’s Office of 21st Century Education where he successfully moved several education initiatives through the legislative process. These include the Cleveland Transformation Plan, the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, revisions to the Teacher and Principal Evaluation Systems, and the A-F Local Report Card. He also played a key role in the development of the State Education Budget and the School Funding Model.
Previously, Dr. Ross was superintendent at Bryan City Schools and Ottawa-Glandorf Local Schools, was an instructor at Bowling Green State University and served as high school principal at Jonathan Alder Local School District. He also served as chairman of the Youngstown Academic Distress Commission and was an instructor for the Ohio University Educational Leadership Program.
Dr. Ross earned an undergraduate degree in social studies and a Master’s of Educational Administration from The Ohio State University and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Bowling Green State University.