Teaching

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal will headline this year’s Fall Education Summit, held Saturday, Oct. 15, at WSU Tri‑Cities.

As an elected official, Reykdal leads the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the primary agency charged with overseeing public K–12 education in Washington state. Reykdal, a 1994 alumnus of WSU’s College of Education, took office in 2017.

The College of Education has hosted the event annually since 2018, with exception of 2020, as a way teachers and educational administrators can collaborate across disciplines, campuses, and programs, as well as earn their continuous education credits.

“We’re really excited that our OSPI superintendent will be here as the keynote, as well as be part of a panel that day,” said Judy Morrison, the college’s WSU Tri‑Cities academic director. “We’ll also have some strands on STEM education, equity education… it’ll be a very interesting summit.”

Reykdal plans to speak about the role of educators in restoring a civil society.

“The evidence is so clear that incivility surrounds us,” he said. “Incivility is not an accident, but we do have the tools to retore a greater respect for each other.”

One key highlight of the summit will be the opportunity for WSU students to participate free of charge. This includes a research poster session for graduate students doing collaborative research with faculty members. In up to five cases, WSU Tri‑Cities will provide up to $200 for these students to travel and present at the campus.

“This will give many students their first taste at professional development, as well as networking with others from the area,” WSU Tri‑Cities faculty member Lindsay Lightner said. “Hopefully it will be a good chance for them to relax, learn, and think about the rest of the school year ahead.”

Individuals can register by visiting tricities.wsu.edu/stcu-register. Registration closes Monday, Oct. 10.

As it has for multiple years, the event will be sponsored by STCU.