Kathy Hoffman

Kathy Hoffman started her career as a teacher and was elected to serve as Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2018. Her advocacy for students was fostered while working in special education serving students with disabilities. Kathy was motivated to run for office to elevate the voices of educators to inform statewide policies and ensure that all students could achieve their full potential.

In her role as the leader for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and champion for public education, Kathy has worked tirelessly to improve students’ access to mental health supports and provide resources for teachers across the state. Kathy brought steady leadership for Arizona's schools during the pandemic by partnering with public health experts, collaboratively addressing the technology needs for virtual instruction, and allocating federal funds to accelerate student learning.

Kathy transitioned to Arizona State University in 2023 to focus on transforming education systems through collaboration and challenging the status quo. After building Project OASIS (Optimizing Access for Students in Schools) to over 300 members, the organization merged with the Center for Whole Child Education to form the Responsive Systems Design Lab, which is launching in July 2026. 

In addition, Kathy co-leads the ASU Education Futures Roundtable for Superintendents, which brings together superintendents, ASU faculty, and education leaders to learn from each other and proactively tackle the most pressing issues in K-12 school districts. 

As an educator and mother of two young children, Kathy firmly believes that Arizona’s future starts in our schools and she is dedicated to developing new strategies for moving public education forward.