About me
Jacob Oliva was appointed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders as secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education and commissioner of the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2023. A lifelong educator, Oliva played a key role in passing and implementing the LEARNS Act, a transformative overhaul of Arkansas’ education system focusing on early learning, reading supports, Career and Technical Education, school choice, and teacher recruitment. Under his leadership, Arkansas is leading the nation in starting teacher salaries, empowering parents with school choice options, and assisting struggling learners. Before joining Arkansas, Oliva held senior leadership roles at the Florida Department of Education, overseeing programs for 2.8 million students. A graduate of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Flagler College, Oliva began his career as a special needs teacher and later served as a principal and superintendent in Florida.
