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Superintendent Reykdal directs an agency of more than 400 employees, centering º£½ÇÉçÇø¡¯s work on equity, supporting the whole child, and providing excellent customer service and transparency to districts, the Legislature, media, and community members. The Superintendent sets a vision for education that is student-centered and reflects the changes needed to prepare Washington¡¯s learners for postsecondary pathways, careers, and º£½ÇÉçÇø.

The Chief of Staff supports the Superintendent to carry out his goals by providing key leadership, vision, direction, coordination, and oversight of all agency operations, programs, messaging, and advocacy. The Chief of Staff drives major cross-agency initiatives, oversees internal and external policy development, optimizes internal processes, maintains critical partnerships with external stakeholders, and provides strategic direction to Cabinet-level leaders in support of the Superintendent¡¯s vision.

The Chief of Staff directly oversees the Chief Education Officer, as well as the Agency Support, Communications, Financial Resources, Government Relations, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Legal Affairs divisions. 

The Chief Education Officer supports the Superintendent to carry out his goals and provides leadership and resources to support districts in helping all students develop skills necessary for their future.

The Chief Education Officer oversees the following agency divisions:

• Assessment and Student Information
• Educator Growth and Development 
• Elementary, Early Learning, and Federal Programs
• Secondary Education and Pathway Preparation
• Special Education Services
• System and School Improvement; and
• Student Engagement and Support

The Chief Education Officer serves as a member of the º£½ÇÉçÇø Executive Leadership Team.

The Financial Resources division is responsible for the distribution of funding: agency budgeting; research on school funding; and collecting data on enrollment, personnel, and financial information. 

Financial Resources:

• Distributes billions of dollars in state and federal funding to school districts.
• Manages state and federal grants to districts and other organizations.
• Coordinates planning, construction, and renovation of school buildings.
• Serves as the agency's budget office, including providing fiscal services to every section within º£½ÇÉçÇø.
• Coordinates audit management and resolution.
• Coordinates student transportation funding and requirements and traffic safety education.
• Assists school districts and other organizations in providing high-quality nutrition programs.

The Chief Financial Officer serves as a member of the º£½ÇÉçÇø Executive Leadership Team.

The Government Relations department directs the agency¡¯s government relations activities at the state and federal levels. This includes establishing and implementing short-and long-term goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures for government relations support.

Government Relations:

• Coordinates the implementation and accountability of legislative and policy initiatives.
• Leads the strategic planning for advancing priority legislative recommendations.
• Oversees and coordinates interactions with legislators; legislative staff; and other local, state, and federal officials.
• Manages the agency¡¯s legislative clearinghouse, including bill tracking, bill analyses, and committee hearing tracking.

The Chief Policy and Legislative Affairs Officer serves as a member of the º£½ÇÉçÇø Executive Leadership Team.

The Communication & Digital Media department serves as the chief liaison between the agency and the media, ensures the Superintendent's priorities are reflected in agency messaging, and oversees the agency's brand.

Communication & Digital Media:

• Strategizes how to communicate information effectively to school districts, the media, and the public.
• Coordinates interviews and media briefings given by the Superintendent and other members of the Executive Leadership Team.
• Serves as the agency's spokespeople and coordinates press responses in consultation with content experts.
• Oversees and maintains the agency¡¯s website and social media channels.
• Creates communication materials and plans for internal and external audiences.

The Chief Communications Officer serves as a member of the º£½ÇÉçÇø Executive Leadership Team.

The Data Strategy and Student Information division collects, reports, and analyzes information about Washington's public school students. 

Data Strategy and Student Information: 

• Collects, analyzes, and publishes student data from school districts, including on the Washington State Report Card, to support education programs, policy decisions, and public transparency.
• Manages school accountability data, including through the Washington School Improvement Framework.
• Coordinates, manages, monitors, and provides guidance for state general and alternate academic assessments in English Language Arts, mathematics, and science; English language proficiency assessments; and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 

Child Nutrition Services is responsible for supporting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Program and partners with external stakeholders, to provide nutritious meals each day, that prepare children for learning. This is accomplished through professional development, technical assistance, program support, and managing resources to benefit USDA Child Nutrition Program recipients.

Child Nutrition Programs include:

• School Nutrition Programs
  • National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
  • School Breakfast Program (SBP)
  • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
  • Special Milk Program (SMP)
  • Seamless Summer Option (SSO)
• Community Nutrition Programs
  • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
  • Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
• Food Distribution Program (FDP)

The Learning and Teaching and Continuous Improvement division is dedicated to ensuring school districts have access to high-quality learning standards and professional learning opportunities to support teachers, principals, and other school leaders throughout the career continuum. 

Learning and Teaching and Continuous Improvement:

• Offers training and technical support for teachers, principals, paraeducators, and school leaders¡ªincluding evaluation systems, certification, and National Board support. 
• Supports educators, from elementary to secondary, in teaching rigorous learning standards using modern practices across subjects like English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Health/PE, Educational Technology, and more. 
• Helps school districts build strong mentoring, induction, and support systems for educators and paraeducators to improve educator retention. 
• Oversees school improvement programs, providing funding, support, guidance, and high expectations for schools. 

The Human Resources department is responsible for leadership and oversight of human resources functions in support of º£½ÇÉçÇø as well as the State Board of Education, Professional Educator Standards Board, Paraeducator Board, Financial Education Public-Private Partnership, and Charter School Commission.

Human Resources:

• Serves as a strategic business partner in development and service delivery within the agency.
• Develops and implements agency human resource policies and procedures.
• Provides expert advice to managers and supervisors in the agency while ensuring accurate and consistent application of federal and state laws and agency policies.
• Oversees agency training plans for professional learning and development.
• Leads agency initiatives involving cultural competency, recruitment, and workplace flexibility.
• Monitors hiring and other personnel actions to ensure non-discrimination, equal opportunity, and ethical practices are maintained.

The Information Technology Services (ITS) division coordinates the integration of technology to improve teaching and learning in Washington by providing leadership and management of technology; telecommunications infrastructure; and other tools for students, teachers, and administrators in the K¨C12 education sector.

Information Technology Services:

• Develops and implements the strategic direction for º£½ÇÉçÇø¡¯s use of information technology.
• Collaborates with agency business partners to ensure common understanding of business needs and ensure consistent delivery of information technology services.
• Develops, manages, and supports projects, programs, training, and successful practices that integrate technology into teaching and learning.
• Provides leadership at the state level by developing opportunities for interagency collaboration in solving problems related to information technology.
• Develops and implements information technology plans, policies, standards, and processes consistent with statewide direction.
• Strives for continuous quality and process improvement using industry standards and best practices.

The Legal Affairs division is responsible for providing legal services to the agency, including the development of legal strategies and ensuring compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. Additionally, the division provides investigative and technical services to school districts throughout the state.

Legal Affairs:

• Provides technical assistance and guidance on nondiscrimination in public schools and enforces Washington¡¯s nondiscrimination laws.
• Investigates allegations regarding certificated educators and reviews applications for certification when there is any question concerning good moral character, personal fitness, or criminal history record.
• Develops and implements policies, while providing oversight of the agency¡¯s compliance with the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) and the Preservation and Destruction of Public Records (RCW 40.14).

The Office of Native Education provides assistance to school districts in meeting the educational needs of American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) students. ONE serves as a liaison between º£½ÇÉçÇø and school districts, tribal governments, State-Tribal Education Compact schools (STECs), tribal schools, Native communities, parent/guardians of Native children, and other groups and individuals.

The Office of Native Education: 

• Facilitates the inclusion of native language programs in school districts' curricula.
• Coordinates technical assistance for public schools that serve American Indian and Alaska Native students.
• Facilitates the development and implementation of the Since Time Immemorial and other curricula including instructional materials in native languages, culture and history, and the concept of tribal sovereignty pursuant to RCW 28A.320.170.
• Provides assistance to districts in the acquisition of funding to develop curricula and instructional materials in conjunction with native language practitioners and tribal elders.

The Pathway Preparation and Title Programs division supports providing students with access to challenging coursework, a tailored secondary educational experience, and pathways to graduation and beyond that reflect student interest and goals. The division also supports school districts with maintaining compliance with federal and state regulatory guidance. 

Pathway Preparation and Title Programs: 

• Supports the delivery of public education through a variety of learning options, settings, and instructional approaches. 
• Manages Career and Technical Education programs with a focus on employability and workforce readiness that lead to industry recognized credentials, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and college degrees in high-demand economic sectors. 
• Provides leadership for school counseling, High School and Beyond Plans, graduation pathways, credit flexibility, dual credit accessibility, and postsecondary transition and preparation. 
• Coordinates grant administration, federal and state funding, data, compliance to regulatory guidance, and federal guidance support for various federal programs. 

The Special Education Services division is responsible for ensuring the provision of special education and related services on behalf of more than 130,000 eligible students in Washington. 

Special Education Services:

• Provides technical assistance and professional development designed to support and facilitate special education program improvement efforts by disseminating evidence-based and promising practices for the development of academic, health, and post-school outcomes for students eligible under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Engages stakeholders involved in, or affected by, special education services and outcomes for students with disabilities to review, analyze, and plan for system improvements and celebrate successes.
• Provides general supervision of the provision of special education services through an integrated monitoring system, dispute resolution options, and coordinated data management efforts.
• Allocates federal special education funding and manages the supplemental Safety Net program for individual high need students and school districts that demonstrate a unique community impact in the area of special education.

The Student Engagement and Special Programs division helps school districts remove barriers to student learning by embracing an approach to education that encompasses the whole child. The division?works to ensure every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged, and that the educators who support them have access to high-quality technical assistance, relevant professional learning opportunities, and information about best practices. 

Student Engagement and Special Programs: 

• Administers state and federal grants and programs designed to remove barriers to learning for vulnerable students, such as students in foster care or experiencing homelessness. 
• Provides professional development and technical assistance in partnership with education leaders and regional and local stakeholders statewide to build and improve a whole child focus. 
• Collaborates with other local, regional, state, and national organizations serving children and families?to ensure all students have the support they need to succeed at school. 
• Oversees system-wide programs for schools and school districts to support student success, including attendance and reengagement, dropout prevention, school safety, and more.