Illinois' Superintendent of Education: Dr. Carmen Ayala MBA ’87 Announces Retirement

November 18, 2022

Dr. Carmen Ayala MBA ’87 has announced plans to retire at the end of her current contract, which concludes on January 31, 2023. She has served as state superintendent since early 2019, shepherding Illinois schools through COVID-19 and kickstarting their academic recovery—leading most recently to a decade-high in the state’s graduation rate.

As the capstone of her nearly four-decade career in education, Carmen was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as superintendent for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Before her appointment as state superintendent, Carmen served as superintendent of Berwyn North School District, as assistant superintendent in Plainfield and Aurora East Districts, and as a classroom teacher in Aurora and Chicago Public Schools.

Carmen is a graduate of Mundelein College, Dominican University, and Loyola University of Chicago with undergraduate, a master of business administration, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy degrees. Carmen previously served as an executive board member on the Latino Policy Forum, where she championed equitable funding and increased resources for English Learners. She has held positions on numerous boards and committees, including the Illinois State Board of Education Bilingual Advisory Council, Illinois Women in Educational Leadership, Illinois Resource Center, and the Illinois Professional Review Panel for Evidence-Based Funding.

Read more: State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen Ayala Announces Retirement