Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Last updated
Old Capitol building; home to OSPI Olympia old cap aug 05.jpg
Old Capitol building; home to OSPI

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, or OSPI, is the state education agency for the State of Washington. The agency is bound by the Washington State Legislature to implement state laws regarding education, including the 1993 education reform act which mandated the controversial WASL standards based assessment. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is sixth (behind the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, and Attorney General, respectively) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Washington. [1] The current Superintendent of Public Instruction is Chris Reykdal.

Contents

Like all members of executive branch, the Superintendent of Public Instruction was established as a partisan position by the Washington State Constitution in 1889. [1] However, an initiative to the people in 1938 made the position nonpartisan. Initiative 126 passed 293,202 to 153,142 and is codified as Chapter 1 Laws of 1939. [2] [3] Pearl Wanamaker became the first nonpartisan superintendent when she was elected in November 1940.

The agency is headquartered in the Old Capitol Building in Olympia. [4]

Superintendents of Public Instruction [5]

NameYears
Rev. B.C. Lippincott1861
Dr. Nelson Rounds1872-1874
John P. Judson1874-1880
Jonathan S. Houghton1880-1882
Charles W. Wheeler1882-1884
R.C. Kerr1884-1886
J.C. Lawrence1886-1888
J.H. Morgan1888-1889
Robert Bruce Bryan1889-1893;

1901-1908

Charles W. Bean1893-1897
Frank J. Browne1897-1901
Henry B. Dewey1908-1913
Josephine Corliss Preston 1913–1929
Noah D. Showalter1929-1937
Stanley F. Atwood1937-1940
Pearl Anderson Wanamaker 1941–1956
Lloyd J. Andrews 1956–1960
Louis "Louie" Bruno1960–1972
Frank (Buster) Brouillet 1973–1989 [6]
Judith Billings1990–1996
Teresa "Terry" Bergeson 1997–2008
Randy Dorn 2009–2016
Chris Reykdal 2017 – present

Related Research Articles

The government of California is the governmental structure of the U.S. state of California as established by the California Constitution. California uses the separation of powers system to structure its government. It is composed of three branches: the executive, consisting of the governor of California and the other constitutionally elected and appointed officers and offices; the legislative, consisting of the California State Legislature, which includes the Assembly and the Senate; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. There is also local government, consisting of counties, cities, special districts, and school districts, as well as government entities and offices that operate independently on a constitutional, statutory, or common law basis. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, recall and ratification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction</span> U.S. state constitutional officer

The North Carolina superintendent of public instruction is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As the head of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the superintendent oversees the public school systems of the state. They also serve as the secretary of the North Carolina State Board of Education and are a member of the North Carolina Council of State. The incumbent is Catherine Truitt, who became superintendent on January 2, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Superintendent of Public Instruction</span> Educational position

The state superintendent of public instruction (SPI) of California is the nonpartisan elected executive officer of the California Department of Education. The SPI directs all functions of the Department of Education, executes policies set by the California State Board of Education, and also heads and chairs the Board. The superintendent is elected to a four-year term, serves as the state’s chief spokesperson for public schools, provides education policy and direction to local school districts, and also serves as an ex officio member of governing boards of the state’s higher education system. The current superintendent of public instruction is Tony Thurmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Michigan</span> Principles, institutions and law of political governance in the U.S. state of Michigan

The Constitution of the State of Michigan is the governing document of the U.S. state of Michigan. It describes the structure and function of the state's government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Texas</span> Government of the U.S. state of Texas

The government of Texas operates under the Constitution of Texas and consists of a unitary democratic state government operating under a presidential system that uses the Dillon Rule, as well as governments at the county and municipal levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in California</span> Overview of the procedure of elections in the U.S. state of California

Elections in California are held to fill various local, state and federal seats. In California, regular elections are held every even year ; however, some seats have terms of office that are longer than two years, so not every seat is on the ballot in every election. Special elections may be held to fill vacancies at other points in time. Recall elections can also be held. Additionally, statewide initiatives, legislative referrals and referendums may be on the ballot.

The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes called the Oklahoma State School Superintendent, is the chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the president of the Oklahoma State Board of Education. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is responsible for overseeing, implementing and reviewing the policies of the Oklahoma's public school system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of New Jersey</span> Overview of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey

The government of the State of New Jersey is separated into three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The powers of the State of New Jersey are vested by the Constitution of New Jersey, enacted in 1947, in a bicameral state legislature, the Governor, and the state courts, headed the New Jersey Supreme Court. The powers and duties of these branches are further defined by acts of the state legislature, including the creation of executive departments and courts inferior to the Supreme Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction</span> Former Oregon elected office

The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, was a constitutional office within the executive branch of the Oregon state government from 1872 to 2012, when it was eliminated by state law. The superintendent acted as administrative officer of the State Board of Education and was executive head of the Department of Education. The superintendent was elected by the people of Oregon in a nonpartisan statewide ballot for a term of office of four years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montana State Government</span> Government of the U.S. State of Montana

As established and defined by the Montana Constitution, the government of the State of Montana is composed of three branches, the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. The powers of initiative and referendum are reserved for the citizens of Montana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Michigan</span> Executive, legislative, and judicial governing bodies of the US state of Michigan

Michigan has a republican form of government with three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the governor of Michigan and the other independently elected constitutional officers; the legislative branch consisting of the House of Representatives and Senate; and the judicial branch consisting of the one court of justice. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, recall, and ratification.

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Oregon:

Washington ratified its constitution and held its first state elections in 1889, the year it was admitted to the union as a state. It established the positions of governor, lieutenant governor, Secretary of State, attorney general, state treasurer, state auditor, Commissioner of Public Lands, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. The position of insurance commissioner was legislatively established in 1907. All positions are elected to four-year terms, concurrent with presidential elections. Washington is one of three states that elects nine separate statewide officials, while six others elect ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin</span>

The superintendent of public instruction, sometimes referred to as the state superintendent of schools, is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government, and acts as the executive head of the Department of Public Instruction. Twenty-eight individuals have held the office since statehood. The incumbent is Jill Underly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Evers</span> Governor of Wisconsin since 2019

Anthony Steven Evers is an American educator and politician serving as the 46th governor of Wisconsin since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Wisconsin's Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2009 to 2019.

The government of Washington State is the governmental structure of the State of Washington, United States, as established by the Constitution of the State of Washington. The executive is composed of the Governor, several other statewide elected officials and the Governor's cabinet. The Washington State Legislature consists of the House of Representatives and State Senate. The judiciary is composed of the Washington Supreme Court and lower courts. There is also local government, consisting of counties, municipalities and special districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election</span>

The 2014 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Superintendent of Public Instruction of California. Unlike most other elections in California, the superintendent is not elected under the state's "top-two primary". Instead, the officially nonpartisan position is elected via a nonpartisan primary election, with a runoff only held if no candidate receives a majority of the vote.

The following is the planned order of succession for the governorships of the 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and the five organized territories of the United States, according to the constitutions of each. Some states make a distinction whether the succeeding individual is acting as governor or becomes governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnie J. Nielson</span> American politician

Minnie Jean Nielson was an American educator and literacy activist from North Dakota. She served as the eleventh North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1919 to 1926.

References

  1. 1 2 "Washington State Constitution". Washington State Legislature . Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  2. "Initiatives to the People". Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 26 Oct 2020.
  3. "Chapter 1, Initiative Measure No. 126, Non-Partisan Ballots" (PDF). Laws of Washington. 1939: 3–4.
  4. "Contact Us." Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Retrieved on June 16, 2009.
  5. Lind, Carol J. (1976). Territorial/State Superintendents, 1861 to Present. Olympia, WA: Superintendent of Public Instruction.
  6. Brouillet, Frank B. "An Oral History" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-12-22.