Sonja Santelises
Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises is a distinguished leader and educator with extensive experience in every aspect of public education. For more than 35 years she has been guided by her core conviction, that – properly resourced and supported – every child can be successful, and that excellence in urban education is achievable at scale.
In her tenth year as Chief Executive Officer of Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools), Dr. Santelises is the longest serving City Schools CEO in more than 79 years -- providing stability and continuity of purpose to this urban district of 77,000 students, many of whom live in areas of concentrated poverty. Her tenure has been characterized by data-based improvement and innovation to achieve steady, sustainable progress in academics, community engagement, student wholeness, and leadership development among district staff. The cumulative impact of these measures was highlighted by an increase in student enrollment of more than 1,000 students for school year 2024-2025, the first such increase in decades and a marked difference from the trend in urban districts nationwide.
Most recently, City Schools students demonstrated the second largest growth in reading since 2022 among large urban school districts nationally; the district is one of only five urban districts performing better in reading than before the COVID pandemic. English Learning Arts (ELA) scores improved in statewide assessments in every year of Dr. Santelises’ tenure, reflecting the district’s ongoing focus on improving literacy. In addition, City Schools consistently outperforms the state in kindergarten readiness. Dr. Santelises’ commitment to a strategy of continuous improvement and innovation resulted in a significant reduction in the number of low-performing schools during her tenure
Dr. Santelises’ experience encompasses leadership and policy positions at all levels of public education. In October 2025 she was named Superintendent in Residence at the Broad Center: Yale School of Management for the 2025-26 school year, where she leads content facilitation for the Fellowship for Public Education Leadership Program cohort. She previously served as Vice President for K-12 Policy & Practice at The Education Trust, where she convened school district leaders nationwide and advised national policy makers on federal and state legislation for school funding. Prior to her 3-year tenure as Chief Academic Officer in Baltimore City Public Schools (2010-2013), Dr. Santelises held several leadership positions in Boston Public Schools, while earlier in her career she was a Lecturer on Education at Harvard University and Executive Director of the renowned New York City Algebra Project.
Dr. Santelises’ executive experience includes decades of effective management of large-scale budgets and complex operations, including a $1.9 Billion annual budget at City Schools. In the first year of her tenure she developed a strategy to close historically recurring funding gaps, by implementing cost-saving measures and securing a 3-year, $180 Million commitment for state and local funding to close a significant funding gap and restore financial stability to Baltimore City Schools. She continued to advocate for increases in state funding formulas for education, while writing and championing key legislation at the state level. At the same time, she developed robust fundraising partnerships with a wide range of national organizations, who contributed more than $85 Million to support district priorities.
Dr. Santelises earned a Doctorate of Education in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University and a Master of Arts Degree in Education Administration from Columbia University; she is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Foundation and is Chair of the Council of the Great City Schools, where she was formerly Secretary-Treasurer. She is a Founding Board Member of Ed Reports, and serves as a Board Member for Chiefs for Change. Dr. Santelises is also a Trustee of the University of Southern New Hampshire.
In 2025 Dr. Santelises was named “Maryland Superintendent of the Year” by the Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM). During her tenure she was also named one of “Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs” and one of “25 Black Marylanders to Watch.” She was a two-time finalist for the Green-Garner Award, the nation’s highest urban education honor, in recognition of outstanding contributions in urban education.
Dr. Santelises is a nationally renowned speaker and an innovative thinker in public education and driving change in large organizations. She lives with her husband and three children in Baltimore, Maryland.
