Previously, Dr. Scafidi served as the Director of Education Policy for the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program, the first chair of the state of Georgia’s Charter Schools Commission, a member of the Charter Advisory Committee, an Education Policy Advisor to Governor Sonny Perdue, a staff member to both of Governor Roy Barnes’ Education Reform Study Commissions, and as an expert witness for the state in school funding litigation.

Dr. Scafidi received a bachelor's in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Virginia.