The Illinois State Superintendent of Education, often shortened to State Superintendent, is a statewide government office in the U.S. state of Illinois.
The State Superintendent is nominated by the Governor of Illinois and serves at the pleasure of the Illinois State Board of Education. Since at least 2007, the superintendent is hired at the beginning of a new gubernatorial term after the governor appoints the State Board of Education. The State Superintendent is the chief education officer of the state, and the chief executive officer of the State Board of Education, but is prohibited from being a member of the board.
the Superintendent of Public Instruction; the old name is still referred to in some laws.See, for example, The powers and duties of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction were transferred to the Illinois State Board of Education on January 12, 1975.
The current officeholder is Dr. Tony Sanders.
List of office holders
Elected office Name In office Political party Year(s) elected Note(s) Ninian Wirt Edwards 1854–1857Democratic appointed by the governor William H. Powell 1857–1859Republican 1856 Newton Bateman 1859–1863Republican 1859, 1860 John P. Brooks 1863–1865Democratic 1862 Newton Bateman 1865–1875Republican 1864, 1866,1870 Samuel M. Etter 1875–1879Democratic 1874 James P. Slade 1879–1883Republican 1878 Henry Raab 1883–1887 Democratic 1882 Richard Edwards 1887–1891 Republican 1888 Henry Raab 1891–1895Democratic 1890 Samuel Inglis 1895–1898Republican 1894 died in office on Jan. 23, 1898 Joseph H. Freeman 1898–1899Republican appointed to fill vacancy left by death by Inglis Alfred Bayliss 1899–1907Republican 1898, 1902 Francis G. Blair 1907–1935Republican 1906, 1910,1914, 1918,1922, 1926,1930 John A. Wieland 1935–1943Democratic 1934, 1938 Vernon L. Nickell 1943–1959Republican 1942, 19461950, 1954 George T. Wilkins 1959–1963Democratic 1958 Ray Page 1963–1971Republican 1962, 1966 Michael Bakalis 1971–1975Democratic 1970
Appointed (1975–present) Joseph Cronin (1975–1980) Donald Gill (1981–1984) Ted Sanders (1985–1989) Robert Leininger (1990–1994) Mary Jane Broncato (1994) (temporary) Joseph Spagnolo (1994–1998) Glen "Max" McGee (1998–2001) Ernest Wish (2002) (1 month) Respico Vazquez (2002) (temporary) Robert Schiller (2002–2004) Randy Dunn (2004–2006) Christopher Koch (2006–2015) Tony Smith (2015-2019) Dr. Carmen I. Ayala (2019–2023) Tony Sanders (2023-Present)
References