Kristina Ishmael

Deputy Director, Office of Ed Tech

U.S. Department of Education

Life is short—you’ve got to go where you want to go.

About Kristina

I earned my bachelor’s degree in business and mass communications from Arizona State University.
I moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and had my first interview for business in the private sector, during which I had a massive panic attack—my body was telling me that I was not where I needed to be.
I decided to pivot and found a post-baccalaureate program where I pursued early childhood education and elementary education.
After graduating, I worked as a classroom teacher and then transitioned to the state level, where I worked as a state ed tech director for the state of Nebraska.
In 2016, I moved to Washington D.C. to work at the federal level as a fellow, supporting states and school districts as they moved away from traditional materials and into open education resources.
I spent a little bit of time working in the nonprofit sector but knew I wanted to go back into the administration.
In 2021, I rejoined the U.S. Department of Education and am currently leading the Office of Education Technology.