MaryEllen Elia | |
|---|---|
| 15th Commissioner of Education of the State of New York | |
| In office May 25, 2015 – August 31, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | John King, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Betty A. Rosa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1948 |
| Profession | Educator |
MaryEllen Elia (born 1948) is an American educator.
She served for ten years as superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, Florida, but was fired by the school board, after a number of incidents that eroded the board's trust in her.
Elia later served as New York State Education Commissioner. In that role, she gained recognition for easing tensions surrounding implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the question of how to evaluate teachers. She provoked controversy over the removal of school aid from struggling schools, the delayed removal of an outspoken Buffalo School Board member, and a directive requiring private schools to come into compliance with state standards. She resigned as education commissioner on August 31, 2019.