Chad Aldis is the director of the Iowa Department of Education. He was chosen for the role by Governor Kim Reynolds and began leading the department on March 15, 2023.
For the last 20 years, Director Aldis’s career has been focused on improving student achievement. His experience encompasses policy development, advocacy and research, and spans multiple states. He has a strong background in Ohio, most recently as vice president for Ohio policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. In this role, Director Aldis led the organization’s efforts to successfully reform Ohio’s high school graduation requirements, state report cards, and charter school laws. He partnered regularly with the governor’s office, legislators, the department of education, and other advocates to strengthen state policy on literacy, school funding, and private school choice.
Prior to his tenure at the Fordham Institute, he held a variety of positions at nonprofit organizations including serving for almost four years as executive director of School Choice Ohio. Director Aldis also worked at the Florida Department of Education where he oversaw private school choice programs for over two years. During his time in Florida, he also served as a legislative analyst for the Education Committee of the Florida House of Representatives.
A fourth-generation Iowan, Director Aldis was born and raised in eastern Iowa. He graduated from Clinton High School in 1990, and began his college career at the University of Northern Iowa before transferring to the University of Mississippi where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He also holds a law degree from Florida State University.