Michael Maher is the Chief Accountability Officer at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, where he leads the state’s accountability, testing, and research functions and oversees the Offices of Accountability and Testing and Research and Promising Practices. His work focuses on using data, evaluation, and evidence to inform statewide policy and improve student outcomes. Previously, he served as Deputy Superintendent of Standards, Accountability, and Research and as Executive Director of the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration, where he helped guide North Carolina’s academic recovery efforts and the implementation of major statewide initiatives. Maher began his career as a high school science teacher and later served in higher education as a faculty member at Saint Augustine’s University and assistant dean in the College of Education at NC State University.