Maria Pappas has dedicated more than 40 years to education, leadership, and community service, leaving a lasting impact across the Mahoning Valley. Throughout her career, she has served in numerous roles including Teacher, Gifted and Talented Coordinator, High School Literacy Coach, Elementary Principal, Chief of Curriculum, Superintendent, College Adjunct Faculty Member, and community advocate. In each position, she has focused on improving educational outcomes while building strong partnerships within schools and the community.

One of Maria’s most notable achievements came during her time as an elementary principal, where she led the transformation of a high-poverty school that had been in academic emergency to an “Effective” rating in just three years. Reading scores improved so dramatically under her leadership that Governor Bob Taft selected her school as the launch site for Ohio’s statewide Ohio Reads initiative—an honor Maria considers one of the highlights of her career.

As Chief of Curriculum for Youngstown City Schools, Maria served as the lead writer of the district’s first Reading Achievement Plan, helping establish a foundation of evidence-based literacy practices. She was also appointed by the Dean of Youngstown State University’s Beeghly College of Education to serve on the P20 Literacy Collaborative and the Ohio Deans Compact, where she helped redesign teacher preparation coursework to align with Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement based on the science of reading. Her alma mater was later recognized as one of only seven programs in Ohio to receive an “A” rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality.

An accomplished grant writer, Maria helped secure millions in funding for literacy and school improvement initiatives. She has also remained deeply involved in the community, serving on several nonprofit and civic boards, including Mahoning County Children Services as Vice Chair.

Throughout her career, Maria has led with integrity, compassion, and a deep commitment to improving both education and the community she calls home.