Dr. LaTanya McDade is superintendent of Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia. She joined the district in the summer of 2021 after serving as chief education officer of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), In Chicago, McDade oversaw all academic offices within the central office and supported all principals and network chiefs in their leadership roles.

Before chief education officer, McDade was chief officer of the Office of Teaching and Learning, where she managed all core academic departments and directed the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional programs and services for CPS teachers and administrators. In that role, McDade worked to align programs to district priorities and advocated for the consistent, formal evaluation of services and supports provided by central office departments. As a veteran educator, she also challenged the efficacy of traditional education models and initiated the PK-12 Curriculum System Project.

Prior to that, she was chief officer for Network 12 and led the transformation and expansion of instruction-centered programs for a diverse portfolio of 37 elementary and high schools, yielding the highest gains across all networks for NWEA in literacy and math for grades three through eight. In all of her various roles, which include teacher, assistant principal, principal, and district leadership positions, she has prioritized equity and excellence for every child and has helped modernize instructional practices.

A member of the fourth cohort of the Future Chiefs leadership development program, McDade has a doctorate in educational administration and supervision from Lewis University,  a master’s in education from Loyola University Chicago, and a bachelor’s from Chicago State University.