Deborah Gist

Deborah A. Gist is the Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education for Rhode Island.  Previously, she served as State Superintendent of Education in the District of Columbia and taught school for more than a decade.  Since coming to Rhode Island, Gist has visited every school district, charter school, and state-operated school. She has developed and published Transforming Education in Rhode Island, a strategic plan for public education in our state.  Gist has raised the bar for entry into teacher-preparation programs, ordered that teacher assignments be based on student need, and announced partnerships with Providence and Central Falls to turn around the state’s persistently lowest-achieving schools.