Thecommissioner of education of New York is the head of theState Education Department, chosen by theBoard of Regents of the University of the State of New York. The commissioner also serves as the president of theUniversity of the State of New York office. Generally, the regents set policy while the commissioner has responsibility for carrying out policy.[1]
| Andrew Sloan Draper | 1904–1913[2] |
| John Huston Finley | 1913–1921 |
| Frank Pierrepont Graves | 1921–1940 |
| Ernest E. Cole | 1940–1942 |
| George D. Stoddard | 1942–1945 |
| Francis T. Spaulding | 1946–1950 |
| Lewis A. Wilson | 1950–1955 |
| James Edward Allen, Jr. | 1955–1969[2] |
| Ewald Nyquist | 1969–1976 |
| Gordon M. Ambach | 1976–1986 |
| Thomas Sobol | 1987–1995 |
| Richard Paul Mills | 1995–2009 |
| David Miller Steiner | 2009–2011 |
| John King Jr. | 2011–2014 |
| MaryEllen Elia | 2015–2019 |
| Shannon L. Tahoe | 2019–2020 |
| Betty A. Rosa | 2020–Present |
Dr. James E. Allen Jr. today became the state's eighth Commissioner of Education. ... Dr. Andrew Sloan Draper became the first Commissioner, holding office from 1904 to 1913. ...