James Lane
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. James F. Lane is the Chief Executive Officer of University Instructors LLC (UI), where he leads a national organization dedicated to expanding access to high-quality instruction and strengthening educator pipelines for K–12 school systems across the United States. A nationally recognized education leader, Dr. Lane brings a rare blend of experience across classroom teaching, district and state leadership, federal policy, and the nonprofit and private sectors.
Dr. Lane began his career as a classroom teacher and band director before moving into school and district leadership roles. He later served as superintendent in Middlesex, Goochland, and Chesterfield County Public Schools in Virginia, earning recognition for strong instructional leadership and innovative use of technology to support student learning. In 2017, he was named Virginia Superintendent of the Year.
In 2018, he became Virginia’s 25th Superintendent of Public Instruction, serving as the chief executive of the Virginia Department of Education and partnering closely with the state Board of Education to advance educational outcomes, foster deeper learning, lead the pandemic response, and move forward key initiatives such as the Virginia is for Learners campaign.
At the federal level, Dr. Lane served in the U.S. Department of Education as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education and later as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. In these roles, he helped guide national PK–12 policy and implementation—including major components of the American Rescue Plan’s ESSER funding—and oversaw policy, compliance, and monitoring for a broad portfolio of federal grant programs.
After his federal service, Dr. Lane became Chief Executive Officer of PDK International and Educators Rising, where he championed “grow your own” teacher pathways and national efforts to elevate the teaching profession. He later served as Managing Director for Praxis and K–16 initiatives at ETS, leading major work on educator certification and pipeline solutions.
Dr. Lane has testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor and served on boards including the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. He is the author of Leading with Laser Focus: The Seven Steps to School Success, an Amazon #1 bestseller. He holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of School Administration from North Carolina State University, and a Doctor of Education from the University of Virginia. Earlier in his life, he also performed professionally as a musician and was inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame as a member of The Castaways.
Across every role, Dr. Lane has been guided by a consistent throughline: a commitment to ensuring that every classroom is led by a well-prepared, well-supported educator and that every student has access to rigorous, meaningful learning opportunities. This focus on excellence—whether in leading teams, shaping policy, or collaborating as a professional musician—continues to define his work on behalf of students and schools nationwide.
