Dr. Ayindé Rudolph is superintendent of Mountain View Whisman School District in Mountain View, Calif., a system of approximately 5,200 students who speak 50 different languages. Shortly after arriving in Mountain View, he implemented a Response to Instruction program at every school, which provides data-driven interventions and enrichment to all students on a weekly basis. Rudolph’s focus on academic outcomes has led to double-digit improvements in student performance, with gains across every subgroup, and has helped to narrow the district’s achievement gap.

Prior to becoming superintendent of Mountain View, he was associate director of school transformation at the Buffalo Promise Neighborhood, a federally funded program in Buffalo, N.Y., modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone, which encourages communities to develop public-private partnerships. His achievements at the Promise Neighborhood include instituting a 1:1 learning environment, which received recognition in 2014 from President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan; the implementation of a new teacher evaluation system; and the adoption of new curricula aligned to national standards. He also redesigned the school’s talent acquisition and management systems with a focus on providing positive feedback for employee growth.

Rudolph’s previous experience includes roles as a principal in traditional elementary, middle, and high schools; a charter school; a countywide arts magnet; and a Title I small-themed STEM high school. In each position, he led the schools to significant gains in student performance.

Rudolph earned his doctorate in education in leadership, policy, and organizations from Vanderbilt University. He also holds an educational specialist degree in educational leadership and administration as well as a master’s in secondary education from George Washington University. He received his bachelor’s from Wittenberg University and is a member of the fifth cohort of the Future Chiefs leadership development program.