Joseph Davis

Dr. Joseph Davis is a nationally recognized mathematics education leader, systems‑level strategist, and curriculum designer with more than three decades of experience improving K–12 mathematics outcomes. His work centers on building coherent math pathways from early childhood through advanced high school coursework, with a long‑term goal of increasing the percentage of U.S. students who graduate proficient in Differential Calculus and prepared for STEM careers. From 2015 to 2025, Dr. Davis served as Superintendent of the Ferguson‑Florissant School District in Missouri, leading measurable, state‑verified gains in mathematics achievement. Under his leadership, the district achieved 100% of Mathematics Student Group Growth targets, earned 75% of the mathematics growth points available under Missouri’s MSIP 6 accountability system, and sustained graduation rates above 92%. He also co‑founded nationally recognized STEAM middle and high schools named to multiple U.S. News & World Report “Best Schools” lists, including a middle school reaching 78% mathematics proficiency. A former middle and high school mathematics teacher, principal, deputy chief of schools in Chicago, and superintendent in North Carolina, Dr. Davis has dedicated his career to strengthening mathematics instruction through teacher capacity building, early number sense development, and vertically aligned curriculum design. He has supported large cohorts of elementary teachers in earning Mathematics Specialist certification, advanced teacher mathematical content knowledge (TMCK), and led districtwide initiatives to improve instructional coherence from K–12. Dr. Davis’s research and thought leadership include a multi‑decade review of mathematics anxiety literature, with a focus on Teacher Math Anxiety and its downstream effects on student identity, confidence, and long‑term achievement. He advocates for stronger partnerships between school systems and educator preparation programs to ensure that every child—especially those historically underserved—has access to excellent mathematics instruction. Guided by a deep belief in the beauty, order, and transformative power of mathematics, Dr. Davis is committed to helping every student see themselves as capable of mathematical excellence and to equipping teachers with the tools and knowledge to make that vision real in classrooms across the nation.