Biography Deborah A. Gist State Superintendent of Education Deborah A. Gist is the State Superintendent of Education. In this capacity, Ms. Gist serves as the chief state school officer for the District of Columbia.  Prior to this assignment she served as the State Education Officer for three years, where she led the reorganization of the State Education Office; oversaw dramatic improvements in the child nutrition programs; managed the transition of the Office of Public Charter School Financing and Support to the State Education Office; and launched the DC OneApp, a comprehensive online application and management information system for the three post secondary education tuition assistance programs offered through the State Education Office. Also in the District of Columbia government, she served for three years as the executive director of Serve DC. As the inaugural executive director, Ms. Gist designed and implemented plans to create the Mayor’s office on volunteerism and state office for national service programs in the District of Columbia. In this role, Ms. Gist worked with stakeholders to create a citywide strategy for service and volunteerism, particularly in education and human services.  Earlier in her career, Ms. Gist served as a senior policy advisor at the US Department of Education. She advised the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on selected initiatives and priority issues, analyzed proposed policy initiatives, and conducted research and feasibility studies. In 1996, Ms. Gist founded Hillsborough Reads, a literacy program in Florida, and served as director. Under her leadership, the program had a measurable positive impact on the literacy of young children, and the literacy tutoring model she developed also received national use and recognition by the US Department of Education. The foundation of Ms. Gist's career is her eight years of experience as a public school teacher. She taught grades first through third, served as a model teacher and trainer for other educators, and was twice named Teacher of the Year. Ms. Gist earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where she was also selected as a Kennedy Fellow and received the Littauer Fellowship for academic excellence and community service. She has a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education with an emphasis in curriculum from the University of South Florida.  Ms. Gist became a Certified Public Manager, following successful completion of a joint program with the District of Columbia government and the George Washington University.  She is currently enrolled in the Broad Superintendent’s Academy which prepares talented leaders who have the passion, knowledge and skill to take on executive leadership roles in urban education. Ms. Gist lives in Ward 6, and is active in the District of Columbia with organizations such as Mentors, Inc, where she is a member of the Board of Directors and a volunteer mentor.