What the heck does this office do? Superintendent of Public Instruction
When most people think about elections, they think about the President, Congress, or maybe the Governor.
But most of the decisions that impact your life happen much closer to home.
“Down ballot” races, like state legislators, school board, city councilors, and county commissioners will determine the future of our healthcare, education, public lands, housing, and lots more.
In this series of articles, Better Wyoming will go over some of the important work each of these offices do, and how they will impact your life and community.
+++
Check out the other articles in this series
What the heck does this office do? Wyoming State Legislators
What the heck does this office do? County Commissioners
What the heck does this office do? Secretary of State
WHAT DOES THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION DO?
Every midterm election, Wyoming voters elect the five statewide executive officials who help lead state government:
- the Governor
- Secretary of State
- State Auditor
- State Treasurer
- Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Wyoming’s constitution guarantees public education as a fundamental right. All students, no matter who they are or where they live, are guaranteed access to free, public K-12 and college education that meets a uniform standard of quality.
While it is the Wyoming Legislature’s mandate to fund public schools and oversee that these constitutional requirements are upheld, it is the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s job to oversee the administration of K-12 public education in the state.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction is the only top elected position that oversees a state agency. The Department of Education plays a vital role in supporting and guiding the Wyoming school districts that teach over 86,000 K-12 students.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction:
- manages the Wyoming Department of Education.
- oversees public K-12 education across the state.
- enforces education laws and regulations established by the state legislature.
- administers federal education funding and ensures schools meet federal requirements to receive those funds.
- sets general rules and regulations, and enforces accreditation standards.
- oversees the collection of statewide assessment data, as well as other important education data.
- establishes statewide guidelines for special education.
- works with school districts, school boards, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders to support the public education system.
- oversees and collaborates with partners on statewide initiatives on issues such as career/college readiness, incentive programs to attract and retain teachers, etc.
- makes budget recommendations about public school funding for the Governor.
- sits on numerous boards and commissions that oversee state government, including the State Loan and Investments Board, which manages natural resources and the state’s trust funds.
- works closely with the Wyoming State Board of Education and sits on their board as a non-voting member. They also serve as non-voting members of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and the Wyoming Community College Commission.
WHY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION MATTERS
The Superintendent of Public Instruction has a direct impact on the quality of education that more than 80,000 Wyoming students receive annually. They directly shape how Wyoming’s public education system works and how well it serves students, teachers, and communities.
A former interim superintendent described the position as “an octopus on roller skates.” The superintendent has to have a strong vision to steer the education system while avoiding becoming a bureaucratic stumbling block that holds schools back. Because their job description laid out in Title 21 in Wyoming statute is pretty broad, how a superintendent approaches their role can differ dramatically between officials.
Despite their power, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction cannot do a number of things:
- dictate what gets taught (the State Board of Education oversees that)
- make decisions at the local level (school districts are in charge of this)
- set statewide policies (the state legislature does this)
However, they still have huge influence over the policies and direction public education takes. For example, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and their state agency, work to guide bills and policies that the Wyoming Legislature picks up during the session.
Wyoming is just one of a handful of states where the superintendent is an elected official. Because of this, voters have a direct say in who leads the state’s public education system. At the same time, because they are elected, they can use their position and power to push for policies that may gain them political favor, but aren’t good for Wyoming schools or their students.
Check out here for a public forum of superintendent candidates.