Tony Smith, Ph.D.

Tony Smith, Ph.D., an Oakland resident and parent of students in Oakland public schools, was named Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) in May 2009. Smith’s strategic plan, Community Schools, Thriving Students, calls for OUSD’s transformation into a full-service community school district where every school serves as a neighborhood hub providing a high-quality instruction, challenging curriculum and a comprehensive range of social supports for students and families.

Prior to joining OUSD, Smith served as Deputy Superintendent for the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and Superintendent of the Emery Unified School District (EUSD) in Emeryville, California. Previously, Smith directed the Math, Science, Technology Initiative (MSTI) at the Emeryville
Citywide Initiative and several major programs at the former Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools (BayCES), now known as The National Equity Project. In 1992, Smith received his B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was captain of the football team and Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach before earning his Masters and Doctorate Degrees in the Division of Language and Literacy from Cal’s Graduate School
of Education.