Dr. Christina Grant, State Superintendent of Education in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Grant is relentlessly committed to leading the education system in the District of Columbia toward equity, and ensuring all learners have the opportunity to excel. Under Dr. Grant’s leadership, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), has designed and implemented a District-wide high-impact tutoring (HIT) program directly geared toward at-risk students who were disproportionately impacted by disrupted instruction during the pandemic. Dr. Grant championed OSSE investing nearly $40 million in this program, and we’re on track to surpass our original goal of serving 10,000 students by the fall of 2024 and will likely serve more than 13,000 students in this period.
Dr. Christina Grant was confirmed as the DC State Superintendent of Education for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in December 2021. As State Superintendent, Dr. Grant is committed to expanding opportunities for District learners of all ages by setting high standards and approaching all work through an equity lens. Dr. Grant has also been a champion of equity by working to ensure DC’s new social studies standards, which were updated in 2023 for the first time in 17 years, accurately and honestly reflect DC’s student population and validate rather than deny their lived experiences and family histories. In a first for the nation, Dr. Grant led OSSE in the development and implementation of new menstrual health standards for all DC students, regardless of gender.
In another first for the nation, Dr. Grant led the teams responsible for making more than $70 million dollars in Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund payments to more than 3,500 early educators across the District. This program ensures early educators in the District of Columbia are paid at the same levels as pre-K through grade 12 educators. Her deep commitment to equity is also captured in OSSE’s new 2023-25 strategic plan. Included in OSSE’s seven strategic priorities is Achieve Equitable Outcomes for All Students, which includes initiatives for serving students with disabilities, extending learning opportunities for students with the highest needs, and designing and implementing a strategy for supporting low-performing schools.
