Kathy Cox has been State Superintendent of Schools since 2003 and in that time, she has set Georgia’s schools on a path toward excellence. Guided by the Georgia Department of Education’s Strategic Plan, Superintendent Cox has overseen many improvements to public education in Georgia, including:

• The creation of a new state curriculum and new graduation requirements that assure Georgia’s students will be college-and-work-ready when they receive their diploma.
• Expansion of the state’s Career, Technical and Agricultural Education programs that help students develop job-ready skills, and
• An increase in public school choice by expanding the number of charter schools in Georgia, overseeing the creation of career academies and the creation and operation of the state’s on-line learning portal, Georgia Virtual School.

Superintendent Cox was a classroom teacher for 15 years and served two terms in the state legislature before being elected to the Georgia’s highest educational post in 2002. She was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2006. In September 2008, Superintendent Cox made national headlines by becoming the first contestant to win $1 million on Fox’s “Are You Smarter than a 5th-Grader?” She is donating the money to Georgia’s three state schools for the deaf and blind.

Superintendent Cox has been recognized by several national and state organizations for her contribution to education. These recognitions include the Friend of Mathematics Award from the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Melvin Jones Fellow Award for Dedicated Humanitarian Services from the Lions Club, an Honorary State FFA Degree from the Georgia FFA Association, and more.

Superintendent Cox lives in Peachtree City with her husband, John. They are the parents of two boys, John, 18, and Alex, 15.

• Introduction for Superintendent Cox
• Superintendent Cox's Biography