Biography

Dr. James Lane is the chief executive officer of PDK International, whose signature program is Educators Rising. He most recently served as Acting Assistant Secretary and the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education after serving as Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona. Before his time in the Biden-Harris administration, he served as Virginia’s 25th Superintendent of Public Instruction, a position appointed by the Governor of Virginia.  Prior to this appointment, Dr. Lane was a district superintendent in three school divisions in Virginia (Chesterfield, Goochland, and Middlesex Counties). During this time, he was named the 2017 Virginia Superintendent of the Year.

Throughout his career, he has also served as an Assistant Superintendent, Principal, and Assistant Principal after beginning his career as a Band Director. He is an accomplished trumpet player, having played in many bands and recorded on several albums. In 2014, he was inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame as a member of the Castaways.

He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and the University of Virginia.