States

Choosing Chiefs and Boards

May 12, 1999 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

States have a variety of methods for selecting their education leadership. In 23 states, the state school board chooses the superintendent of schools; most others are elected or picked by governors.

Legend: AB=Appointed by board. AG=Appointed by governor or other administrative authority. PB=Partisan ballot. NPB=Nonpartisan ballot.

State Method of Selection
Of State Board
Method of Selection
Of Chief State School Officer
Alabama PB AB
Alaska AG AB; governor approves
Arizona AG; confirmed by Senate PB
Arkansas AG AB
California AG NPB
Colorado PB AB
Connecticut AG AB
Delaware AG; approved by Senate AG; confirmed by Senate
Florida PB Elected statewide
Georgia AG Elected statewide
Hawaii NPB AB
Idaho AG PB
Illinois AG AB
Indiana 10 AG; chief is elected PB
Iowa AG AG
Kansas PB AB
Kentucky AG AB
Louisiana 8 elected, 3 AG AB
Maine AG AG
Maryland AG AB
Massachusetts AG AB
Michigan PB AB
Minnesota AG AG
Mississippi 5 AG, 4 by legislature AB
Missouri AG with Senate consent AB
Montana AG PB
Nebraska NPB AB
Nevada NPB AB
New Hampshire AG AB
New Jersey AG AG
New Mexico 10 elected, 5 AG AB
New York Appointed by legislature AB
North Carolina AG PB
North Dakota AG NPB
Ohio 11 NPB, 8 AG AB
Oklahoma AG PB
Oregon AG NPB
Pennsylvania Appointed by legislature AG
Rhode Island AG AB
South Carolina Appointed by legislature PB
South Dakota AG AG
Tennessee AG; legislature confirms AG
Texas PB AG
Utah NPB AB
Vermont AG; approved by Senate AB; governor approves
Virginia AG AG
Washington 9 elected by school boards; 1 by private schools NPB
West Virginia AG AB
Wisconsin none NPB
Wyoming AG PB
Source: Council of Chief State School Officers

A version of this article appeared in the May 12, 1999 edition of Education Week as Choosing Chiefs and Boards

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States School Chaplain Bills Multiply, Stirring Debate on Faith-Based Counseling
Proponents say school chaplains could help address a mental health crisis. Opponents raise concerns about religious coercion.
6 min read
Image of a bible sitting on top of a school backpack.
Canva
States What's on the K-12 Agenda for States This Year? 4 Takeaways
Reading instruction, private school choice, and teacher pay are among the issues leading governors' K-12 education agendas.
6 min read
Gov. Brad Little provides his vision for the 2024 Idaho Legislative session during his State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Boise.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little outlines his priorities during his State of the State address before lawmakers on Jan. 8, 2024, at the capitol in Boise.
Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP
States Q&A How Districts Can Navigate Tricky Questions Raised by Parents' Rights Laws
Where does a parent's authority stop and a school's authority begin? A constitutional law scholar weighs in.
6 min read
Illustration of dice with arrows and court/law building icons: conceptual idea of laws and authority.
Andrii Yalanskyi/iStock/Getty
States What 2024 Will Bring for K-12 Policy: 5 Issues to Watch
School choice, teacher pay, and AI will likely dominate education policy debates.
7 min read
The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. President Joe Biden on Tuesday night will stand before a joint session of Congress for the first time since voters in the midterm elections handed control of the House to Republicans.
The rising role of artificial intelligence in education and other sectors will likely be a hot topic in 2024 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, as well as in state legislatures across the country.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP