Chris Neale, Ed. D., assumed his new role as assistant commissioner for the Office of Quality Schools on July 1. Dr. Neale most recently served as superintendent of Gasconade County R-I Schools in Hermann, Mo.

“We need to ensure that kids in Missouri get the best education we can provide,” Dr. Neale said. “That’s why we come to work each day.”

As head of the Office of Quality Schools, Dr. Neale will guide management of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP), the state’s accountability system for public school districts. The office also administers a wide range of state- and federally funded programs, early learning, charter schools and the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP), along with a statewide system for supporting schools, communities and families.

Prior to his post at Gasconade R-I, Dr. Neale worked in the Houston R-I and Lebanon R-III school districts in Missouri. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Central Methodist College in Fayette, Mo., a master’s degree in education from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, and education specialist and doctorate degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The Office of Quality Schools plays an integral part in Missouri’s Top 10 by 20 initiative, an effort to place Missouri’s student achievement among the top 10 states in the country by 2020.