Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½

Superintendent Chris Reykdal is a visionary leader with a career in public education and an unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for students. First elected in 2017, Chris Reykdal is currently serving in his third term as Washington¡¯s 16th State Superintendent.  

Initiating some of the most transformational changes Washington¡¯s K¨C12 public education system has seen in decades, Chris has: 

• Expanded pathways to graduation to align with students¡¯ individual interests and goals, 
• Successfully advocated for historic investments in support and services for students with disabilities, 
• Made significant progress in eliminating out-of-pocket costs for students in dual credit programs, 
• Increased access to free meals at school to an additional 465,000 students, 
• Expanded dual, tribal, and heritage language learning programs for our youngest learners, 
• Started a first-of-its-kind residency program to support teacher recruitment, 
• Added civics education as a graduation requirement for all students, 
• Increased the number of CTE course equivalencies to allow more students to earn core academic credit through CTE courses, 
• Embraced and published guidance for Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage in the classroom with a ¡°Human-AI-Human¡± approach, 
• Successfully advocated for market-rate salaries for Washington¡¯s teachers, 
• Returned timber revenue to the rural communities where it¡¯s generated, 
• Established a path for students to earn elective credits toward their diploma with paid work experience, and 
• Diversified the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ staff to more closely reflect the diversity of Washington¡¯s students. 

Chris graduated summa cum laude from Washington State University (Go Cougs!) with a bachelor¡¯s degree and a teaching certificate, and he earned a master¡¯s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina¨CChapel Hill. 

As a former teacher, soccer coach, school board director, state legislator, executive for our state¡¯s community and technical college system, and public school student himself, Chris has a unique perspective of the K¨C12 system and how our state supports learners from preschool through postsecondary learning. 

Under Chris¡¯ leadership, the work of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ is centered on equity, transparency, accountability, customer service, and keeping students at the forefront of all data-driven decision-making. 

Chris¡¯ work has been highlighted in Education Week, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, and he has been a guest on NPR and on MSNBC on multiple programs.

Honors and Awards: 

• Champion for CTE Award, Washington ACTE, 2024 
• Leadership Award, National Association for Bilingual Education, 2023 
• State Auditor¡¯s Stewardship Award, Washington State Auditor¡¯s Office, 2022 
• Henry Toll Fellow, Council of State Governments, 2022 
• Golden Gavel Award, Washington Association of School Administrators, 2021 
• Envision Award, Washington DECA, 2019 
• President¡¯s Award, Association of Washington School Principals, 2018 
• MESA Champion Award, MESA USA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement), 2018