Release Date:
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Governor Inslee appointed Mona Bailey to the Washington State Board of Education effective July 16. Bailey has been appointed to complete the term vacated by Dr. Deborah Wilds. Bailey brings to the board a lifelong commitment to improving education for all students and will serve through January 2017.
In her thirty-two year career in public education, Bailey has worked to promote equity and excellence for all students, especially for underachieving students. She has served as a science teacher, counselor, principal, personnel administrator, assistant and deputy superintendent in Seattle Public Schools, and Assistant State Superintendent for the Washington state Office of Public Instruction. She continues to serve in education as an educational consultant, as a volunteer with advocacy groups to reform education for K-12 students, and on several nonprofit boards of directors.
On her appointment, Bailey said, "At this most critical time for education in our state, I believe I can make a contribution to the State Board of Education – and thus to our students – as the Board seeks to achieve its vision for the approximate one million K-12 students in our school: A high-quality educational system that prepares all students for college (or postsecondary training), career, and life.”
Bailey co-chaired the HB2722 State Advisory Committee to Close the Achievement Gap of African American Students in the State of Washington.
Bailey has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Florida A&M University and a Master of Science in Science Education from Oregon State University. She was a candidate for the doctoral program in Educational Leadership and Administration at the University of Washington.
Bailey and her husband, William Peter Bailey, have two sons: Col. Peter Govan Bailey, United States Air Force and Christopher Evans Bailey, Founder and CEO of the Seattle based company, Mindseekers; two grandsons, Tre and Taylor; and two granddaughters, Grace and Addysen.
Contact: Stefanie Randolph, SBE Communications Manager (360) 725-6501
About the State Board of Education: The State Board of Education provides advocacy and strategic oversight of public education. The board is composed of 16 members: five are elected by school board directors, seven are appointed by the Governor, two serve as student representatives, and one serves as a private school representative. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is also a member.