Georgia's state school superintendent since 2015, a former classroom teacher and assistant principal from Tifton. Oversees the Department of Education and the state's K-12 standards and testing. Has steered Georgia's literacy push and clashed at times with the State Board over curriculum and how race and current events are taught.
Office & background
- State School Superintendent (2015–present)
- Classroom teacher & assistant principal, Irwin County
Campaign finance — who funds them
$32,115 raised · $45,329 cash on hand (Woods for GA Education)
- $5,000Norton, Laura (Smyrna, GA)
- $5,000Bolia, Don (Atlanta, GA)
- $3,000Kaplan, Tyler (Atalanta, GA)
- $3,000Yoon, Ho j. (Duluth, GA)
- $3,000Waldman, Chris (Acworth, GA)
- $2,990Butler, Stephen (Atlanta, GA)
Finance as of Jun 24, 2026 — latest GA Ethics filing (2026 6 Day Prior CCDR).
Source: Georgia Government Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission (PeachFile)
Where they stand
A 30-year public educator who points to record graduation rates and securing campus-security and teacher-pay funding across his three terms.
Source: Superintendent Woods — biography (GaDOE)His office administers the new Georgia Promise Scholarship, but as a career public-school educator he has not made expanding school choice his banner.
Source: BallotpediaHas advocated for teacher pay raises during his tenure.
Source: Superintendent Woods — biography (GaDOE)Pushed campus-security funding for Georgia schools.
Source: Superintendent Woods — biography (GaDOE)Operates under the state's “divisive concepts” law (HB 1084) and book-review rules; his enforcement has been cautious and at times reluctant rather than aggressive — drawing fire from the party's right.
Source: Georgia Recorder — years of tension · BallotpediaHis most-watched race/DEI decision: he blocked AP African American Studies from the state course catalog as conflicting with the “divisive concepts” law, then reversed and funded it after the attorney general said AP courses are exempt — enforcing the anti-DEI rules without leading the charge.
Source: Georgia Recorder — reverses AP African American Studies · AJCBacks restricting school sports by birth sex — “boys should compete against biological boys… and girls should compete against girls” — and earlier pushed back on federal guidance allowing transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity.
Source: MDJ — Woods on trans athletes · GaDOE — statement on transgender bathroom guidanceOversaw what his office calls the state's largest-ever reduction in high-stakes testing.
Source: Superintendent Woods — biography (GaDOE)