Release Date:
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Gov. Inslee has appointed Olympia resident Dr. Alan Burke to the State Board of Education. Burke served in public education for more than 40 years, including significant state-level education policy work over the past decade.
Burke’s appointed term begins on April 1. He fills the appointed Position 5 on the 16-member State Board of Education.
On his appointment, Burke said, “I am honored to have been appointed to serve on the State Board of Education. I look forward to helping the Board achieve its goals of assuring all Washington students have access to an equitable, high-quality education.”
Burke retired from a 42-year career in public education last August. Most recently, he served as executive director of the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA), the organization that supports and advocates for the 1,477 elected school board members in the state. Prior to that position, he was deputy superintendent for K-12 education at OSPI, with supervisory responsibility for numerous agency divisions including teaching and learning, school improvement, assessment and student records, career and technical education, student support, and federal programs and accountability. He was a member of Superintendent Randy Dorn’s executive cabinet and spent considerable time on legislative matters and advocacy.
Prior to moving to OSPI, Burke was superintendent of schools in Yelm, a district with 5,300 students and ten schools. While there, he also was a deputy superintendent and principal of two buildings. Before coming to Yelm in 1991, he was a principal in the Orting and Central Kitsap School Districts. He taught for nine years and coached extensively.
Burke lives in Olympia with his wife Pam (a retired elementary school principal) and has several family members who are active in the K-12 system. He earned an Ed.D from the University of Washington in 1990, focusing his research work on identifying effective programs and practices at the middle school level. He enjoys hiking, mountain climbing, foreign travel and spending time with his granddaughters.
Contact: Alissa Muller, SBE Communications Consultant, (360) 725-6501
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About the State Board of Education: 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. For more information on the State Board of Education: www.sbe.wa.gov