Release Date:
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Patty Wood of Kelso has been elected to the State Board of Education. She is the current president of the Kelso School District Board on which she has served for 13 years.
“Public education is the foundational element of our society, and that belief drives my service in education,” Wood said. “It is my goal to make sure every Washington student not only has equal access but equal opportunity to attain a K-12 education that results in a career ready or college prepared young adults.”
She was elected by school board members in the Western Region in a vote count completed Tuesday by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. She fills the Western Region, Position 4 on the 16-member State Board of Education. Her four-year term begins in January.
Wood is completing a second term on the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) board of directors. She has also served on WSSDA’s Board Standards Task Force, Technical Advisory Group, and Effective Educators ESSA workgroup. She also served on Education Northwest’s board and on the Education Commission of the States 100 District Leaders Network.
Wood is a graduate of Enumclaw High School, received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Central Washington University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington. She has three daughters and is a cross country coach for Kelso High School.
The State Board of Education provides advocacy and strategic oversight of public education. The Board comprises 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.
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For more information on the State Board of Education: www.sbe.wa.gov
For more information on elections to the Board: http://www.k12.wa.us/ProfPractices/adminresources/SBEelections.aspx