Michael Gallagher has served the public schools of Santa Clara County for more than thirty years as a high school teacher, counselor, and associate principal, as a middle school principal, as a district-level leader, and now as Superintendent of Schools. He earned MA degrees in Counseling Education (’94) and Educational Administration (’97) and a BA degree in English (’87), all from Santa Clara University. Michael earned a Doctor of Education degree from San Francisco State University while focusing on describing and supporting effective teachers in high poverty schools. He is recognized as an expert in supporting the social-emotional and cultural dimensions of teaching and learning for students, teachers, and staff. He is a past Board President for Sunnyvale Community Services, the current president of Sunnyvale Rotary and an Advisory Board member for the Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child. Gallagher and his husband, Jason Chan, are both life-long residents of the South Bay, are avid San José Earthquakes fans, and are deeply committed to empowering the area’s youth.