Dr. Marion Smith Jr. is a transformative and impact-driven career educator and racial equity scholar practitioner with a proven track record of driving innovation, cultivating equity and accelerating academic outcomes. He brings over 20+ years of experience leading and managing complex organizational growth and change in PK-12 education, post-secondary institutions and EdTech.

Most recently, Dr. Smith served as the Assistant State Superintendent of Instructional Programs & Services for the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Prior to state leadership, Dr. Smith served as the Chief Academic Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Academics for St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS). Additionally, he made history as the first Black administrator and first Black superintendent of schools in the 150-year history of Summit School District in Summit County, CO where he led the district at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Smith has also held leadership roles in Washington State, Pennsylvania and Nevada. He began his career as a secondary English language arts teacher in his hometown of Las Vegas, NV in the 5th largest school district in the country, Clark County School District. 

Guided by an unwavering pursuit of personal, institutional and systemic equity, Dr. Smith is the co-author of the Racial Equity Adaptive Leadership (R.E.A.L.) Framework©, the founder and owner of Educate to Liberate Consulting (E2LC), and the co-designer and co-facilitator of the ‘Coaching and Leading for Racial Equity’ series that has since become foundational training and professional learning offered by the largest educational service district (ESD) in Washington State that serves 35 school districts educating over 400,000 PK-12 students.

A life-long learner with a focus on excellence, Dr. Smith is a former public school K-12 student, performing arts high school graduate, and first-generation college student. His scholarship includes a bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and a master’s degree in Education Administration & Supervision with K-12 Principal Certification from the University of Phoenix – Las Vegas campus. He earned a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership & Change from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA, and pursued post-doctoral studies in Executive Leadership at Seattle University (Seattle U) earning Washington State Superintendent Certification. Additionally, Dr. Smith is an inaugural graduate of the AASA Urban Superintendents Academy from the University of Southern California (USC); a Harvard Business School Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) Summer Institute alumni; Men of Color in Educational Leadership (MCEL) National Leadership Institute Inaugural Fellow; and a Spring 2024 graduate from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.