Mission
To lead and support the preparation of all Nebraskans for learning, earning, and living.
The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) is a constitutional agency approved by Nebraska voters. The Department operates under the authority of an elected board of education. NDE is organized into teams that interact to operate the agency and carry out the duties assigned by state and federal statutes and the policy directions of the State Board of Education. The teams are organized around distinct functions and responsibilities that encompass leadership and support for Nebraska’s system of early childhood, primary, secondary and postsecondary education; direct services to clients; and internal support to the agency.
The department carries out its duties on behalf of Nebraska students in public, private, and nonpublic school systems. The staff of the department interacts with schools and institutions of higher education to develop, coordinate and improve educational programs.
Dr. Brian L. Maher, Commissioner
Dr. Brian Maher was selected as the Nebraska Commissioner of Education by the State Board of Education on March 31, 2023, and started in the position on July 1, 2023.
Dr. Maher is a long-time educator with strong Nebraska roots. He served as superintendent at Sioux Falls School District (South Dakota) from 2015 to 2020; a 25,000-student school system where he led during the beginning stages of a worldwide health pandemic. Maher also served as superintendent at both Kearney (2007-2015) and Centennial (1999-2007) Public Schools in Nebraska. In his tenure as a school superintendent, he successfully led four bond referendums in three different school districts. Dr. Maher was also an administrator at Waverly, Elkhorn, and Johnson-Brock Public Schools and a teacher at Elkhorn and Clarks Public Schools.
Maher most recently served as the CEO and Executive Director of the South Dakota Board of Regents, from 2020 to 2023. In that role he conducted a system-wide review of the Board of Regents, which includes six universities and two special schools. This was a statewide review that lasted more than a year and culminated with a report to the legislature and the governor. Dr. Maher also lobbied the two-house legislature for historic funding during the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions for the state’s public higher education system and led an effort which resulted in no increase in tuition for public higher education institutions in the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions.
Dr. Maher received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education at Midland Lutheran College before he went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees in educational administration from the University of Nebraska.
As Nebraska Commissioner, Dr. Maher will serve on several boards and commissions in the state.
Dr. Jane Stavem, Deputy Commissioner
Dr. Stavem began her tenure with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) in July 2025, as Deputy Commissioner. Dr. Stavem comes to the NDE with many years of experience as an educator and administrator.
Most recently, Dr. Stavem served as superintendent of the Sioux Falls School District in South Dakota. In that role, Dr. Stavem led a team of more than 3,600 staff, ensuring a quality education for nearly 25,000 students. She previously served as superintendent of Lake Washington School District in Redmond, Washington, associate superintendent for instruction in Lincoln Public Schools, and superintendent of Blair Community Schools, both in Nebraska. She has also served as the executive director of curriculum and instruction at Columbus Public Schools and principal at West Park Elementary School in Columbus, Nebraska.
Dr. Stavem received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She holds an administrative certificate in Nebraska with a superintendent endorsement.
Dr. Ryan Foor, Deputy Commissioner
Dr. Ryan Foor has served at the Nebraska Department of Education since 2015. Prior to serving at the NDE, Foor was a high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, university teacher educator, and university program assessment coordinator. During his tenure as a university faculty member, Foor advised graduate student theses and conducted research on teacher mentoring and job satisfaction. At the Nebraska Department of Education, he has worked in career and technical education, and for most of his tenure, served in the Commissioner’s Office in various roles working with the State Board of Education. Prior to his appointment as Deputy Commissioner, Foor served as Assistant Commissioner and Chief of Staff.
Dr. Foor earned a bachelor of science degree in Agricultural Education from Iowa State University and master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees from The Ohio State University. He is scheduled to complete an education specialist degree from Wayne State College in May 2026 and holds a Nebraska administrative certificate with a superintendent endorsement.