Scott McCallum has 25 years of experience working on behalf of children and young adults who are blind or have low vision (BLV). Before being appointed Superintendent of the Washington State School for the Blind in June 2016 by Governor Jay Inslee, McCallum served for six years as the Blind and Visually Impaired Student Fund administrator for the state of Oregon and coordinated specialized educational services for blind and low vision students for one of Oregon’s eight low-incidence regional programs.  Before shifting into administration, McCallum served for ten years as an itinerant teacher of blind and low vision students and orientation and mobility specialist in Oregon. McCallum also serves as an advisor to the Board of Directors for the Pacific Foundation for Blind Children, as a commissioner for the Oregon Commission for the Blind, a board member for the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA), and as a board member and president-elect for the Council of Schools and Services for the Blind. 

Scott’s range of professional experience have provided him with a unique understanding of the needs of students who are BLV as well as the instruction, tools, and supports necessary to meet those needs. His work to support implementation of the nation’s first online adaptive state assessment accessible to students who read Braille and his contributions to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium has given him a national reputation as a collaborative leader. In July 2022, McCallum was honored by the National Federation of the Blind as the nation’s “2022 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students.” 

McCallum has a Master of Science in orientation and mobility from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the University of North Dakota.  Scott completed his initial training to teach blind and low vision students at the University of North Dakota as well.  Scott is currently a doctoral candidate in educational leadership at Washington State University.