Featured Alumni

THOMAS M. BRADY

The Broad Superintendents Academy Class of 2004
Superintendent
Providence Public Schools, R.I.
Retired Colonel, U.S. Army

"I have dedicated my entire professional life to public service—through service to the nation in the Army and now a demanding leadership position in K-12 education. Leaders with a vision, the ability to manage change and the communication skills to reach all stakeholders can be successful in any sector. Urban districts serving large numbers of children in poverty face high-stakes challenges daily and must have bold leaders who embrace change and seize opportunities to implement creative, non-traditional solutions."

In March 2008, Thomas Brady was appointed superintendent of Providence Public Schools, the largest district in Rhode Island, serving more than 24,000 students in 45 schools. Since retiring from the U.S. Army, Brady has held leadership roles in several major school districts. Brady served as interim chief executive officer and chief operating officer for The School District of Philadelphia, the eighth largest school system in the country, serving nearly 200,000 students in more than 260 schools. Brady also served as the chief operating officer for the District of Columbia Public Schools, a system with more than 75,000 students and over 200 schools. As chief operating officer for Fairfax County Public Schools, Brady was responsible for human resources, finance, facilities, transportation services and information technology. Brady is a retired U.S. Army officer. Prior to his retirement, he served as commanding officer of Fort Belvoir, Va. As superintendent of Providence Public Schools, Brady's accomplishments include: introducing a new district-wide math and science curricula; opening two new schools; creating a comprehensive reform plan for the city's most underperforming schools; and revising hiring protocols to remove seniority as the main criteria for filling teacher vacancies. Brady received his bachelor’s degree in education from Niagara University in New York and a master’s degree in human resources management from Pepperdine University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.  Brady is a graduate of the 2004 class of The Broad Superintendents Academy.