John White began his career in education as an English teacher in Jersey City, New Jersey.  He later worked as Executive Director for Teach For America Chicago and Teach For America New Jersey, where he also served on the organization’s national Strategy Committee. In 2006, White was recruited by New York City Chancellor Joel Klein to join the city’s senior management team.  In his last role in NYC, White served as Deputy Chancellor for Talent, Labor, and Innovation.  During his tenure with NYC, the country’s largest school district, he also served as Chief Executive Officer for Portfolio, where he was responsible for developing new schools, closing failing schools, and adjusting grade levels, enrollments, and locations of existing schools.

In May 2011, White was appointed Superintendent of the Recovery School District, the state-run school district charged with transforming failing schools in Louisiana.  During his tenure with the RSD, he led the development of a three-year strategic plan; crafted a plan to overhaul the remaining failing schools in the RSD in New Orleans; revamped instructional supports to RSD direct-run schools; developed a comprehensive program to monitor Type 5 Charter Schools statewide; established a city-wide enrollment process; and reorganized the RSD to improve support for schools and reduced the central office count by more than one-third.   In January 2012, White was appointed State Superintendent of Education for the State of Louisiana. 

White received a B.A. in English with distinction from the University of Virginia, and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University.