Education 2024: AIMEE ROGSTAD GUIDERA

In 2021, Guidera was the first secretary appointed by newly elected Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

A proponent of charter schools and parental involvement in education, Guidera is responsible for leading the state’s public schools and has significant influence on postsecondary institutions, including the Virginia Community College System. In 2022, the state began establishing K-12 lab schools — public, nonsectarian schools based at colleges and universities.

Her tenure has not been without controversy, including pushback from what opponents see as anti-transgender state policies in public schools and history curriculum revisions involving teaching about race. In 2024, Guidera reviewed syllabi for courses on diversity, equity, inclusion and race at George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University, at the request of Youngkin. Ultimately, the two schools eliminated requirements for students to take classes focused on DEI, race or racism this fall.

Guidera was the founder, president and CEO of the Data Quality Campaign, a nonprofit focused on using student testing data to improve schools.

Before founding DQC, Guidera was director of the Washington, D.C., office of the National Center for Educational Achievement and vice president and chief of staff for the National Alliance of Business.