Executive Director - Professional Educator Standards Board

Executive Director – Professional Educator Standards Board

$159,101 - $198,876

Closing date: October 25,2026

AGENCY PROFILE

The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) oversees the preparation and certification of Washington’s P-12 educators.

PESB is one agency with two governing boards: the Professional Educator Standards Board and the Paraeducator Board. Our mission, “to strengthen the educator workforce through professional standards, policy, and innovation,” drives our work. Our board members and staff are committed to advancing policies and training so all Washington students can learn from culturally responsive, equity-informed educators. We prioritize advancing equity principles in the education system, provide educator support so that students have access to education, removing opportunity gaps and barriers to student learning.

As the state’s educator licensure board, PESB oversees the approval and review of all educator preparation programs. The agency focuses on providing support and improving educator quality, workforce diversity, and policy innovation through grants administration, work groups, and pilot projects. We prioritize supporting increased access to the educator workforce by educators from all backgrounds and addressing educator shortages through programs that strengthen pathways into the profession, support the assessment system, and enable educator recruitment, retention, and professional growth efforts.

In addition, PESB administers the Paraeducator Board which is a nine-member board tasked with establishing requirements and policies for paraeducator professional development certificates and makes policy recommendations for paraeducator advancement through education, professional learning, and increased instructional responsibility.

Organizational structure

The Executive Director is an executive and visionary leader, reporting to the Professional Educator Standards Board, charged with advancing transformative changes across Washington’s public education system. This role provides strategic leadership, policy direction, and cross-sector coordination, guiding a team of leaders and staff while fostering a culture of inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Position objective

This position carries out the executive functions as directed by the PESB board, RCWs, and WACs. Key responsibilities include interpreting and operationalizing board goals and activities, influencing and collaborating with other external partners and system participants, providing leadership, vision, and strategic direction for the preparation and certification of Washington’s P-12 educators, while monitoring compliance with state and federal regulations. The Executive Director will collaborate with agency staff, school districts, OSPI, WEA, PSE, and external constituents to enhance student achievement through educator preparation, promote professional development, and drive continuous improvement across the state.

This role requires strong leadership, strategic planning, effective communication, and a successful demonstration of building and sustaining strong partnerships to support the agency's mission and vision.

Primary responsibilities

Oversight of agency operations and programs

• Carry out the executive functions as directed by the PESB board; interpreting and operationalizing board goals and activities, influencing and collaborating with other stakeholders and partners.
• Establish policies and practices for the approval of programs, of courses, requirements, and other activities leading to educator certification, including teacher, school administrator, and educational staff associate certification.
• Establish policies and practices for the approval of the character of work required to be performed as a condition of entrance to and program completion of any educator preparation program, including teacher, school administrator, and educational staff associate preparation programs.
• Establish policies for approval of nontraditional educator preparation programs.
• Conduct a review of educator program approval standards at least every five years, to reflect research findings and ensure continued improvement of preparation programs for teachers, administrators, and school personnel.
• Specify the types and kinds of educator certificates to be issued and conditions for certification in accordance with subsection (1) of this section, RCW 28A.410.251, and RCW 28A.410.010;
• Advance the agency’s commitment to eliminating opportunity gaps and supporting students furthest from educational justice, by supporting equitable access to strong foundations; rigorous learning-centered options; a diverse, inclusive, and highly skilled workforce; a committed and unified focus in public service.
• Supervise and model best practices for program leaders and cross-functional teams responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs that address teacher and paraeducator academic success, well-being, and equitable access for all students.
• Exemplify the ability to navigate complex and uncertain situations by identifying patterns, clarifying priorities, and translating ambiguous information into clear direction that guides action and minimizes duplication.
• Oversee the development and administration of a diverse and complex budget portfolio exceeding $27 million, including general funds, state grants, and special purpose appropriations. Ensure resources are effectively and consistently deployed with legislative intent and strategic equity priorities.
• Lead the operational alignment and integration of PESB's four core programs, Educator Credentialing, Educator Preparation, Alternative Routes, and Educator Workforce.
• Provide executive oversight for the Educator Credentialing, Educator Preparation, and Educator Workforce units.
• Establish systems of accountability, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement for all initiatives. Use evidence-based practices and outcome data to ensure progress toward stated goals, compliance with statutory requirements, and alignment with PESB’s equity and accountability frameworks.
• Support coordinated grantmaking strategies and technical assistance models that promote coherence across the agency programs and state initiatives, while enabling local innovation and responsiveness to community needs.

Statewide executive leadership and workforce development

• Support and partner with the department leaders and boards to set and execute the strategic vision for statewide equity, diversity, and inclusion in education. Provide high-level leadership in developing, influencing, and refining policies and practices that address systemic barriers and improve outcomes for all students, including historically and currently underserved students.
• Participate in, support, and inform the effective execution of the agency’s advocacy platform. Represent PESB in high-profile national and interstate initiatives related to educational equity and systemic transformation that lead to student achievement, positioning Washington as a leader in culturally responsive, anti-racist, and inclusive education systems.
• Champion internal leadership development and drive agency-wide culture change by modeling collaborative best practices, fostering cross-departmental partnerships, and embedding equity and inclusion across all levels of PESB operations, decision-making, and supervision.
• Foster talent development through mentorship, succession planning, and equitable hiring and supervision practices, leading the agency’s workforce as it serves Washington’s diverse communities.

Commitment to equity and public stewardship

• Apply PESB’s Theory of Action and Vision of Excellence in all endeavors.

Decision making and policy impact

The highly complex nature of decisions required by the Executive Director regarding administrative and operational duties, and in service to the Board, will help set and support direction for Washington state's educational workforce. Strategically analyze, develop, and administer forward-thinking policies, processes, and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. This position is responsible for agency-wide independent, complex judgement affecting agency requirements and application of policies. Decisions in this position influence legal and compliance matters while shaping public confidence in PESB services. Actions taken frequently establish long-term, precedent-setting outcomes for the agency and its partners, demanding strategic awareness, independent judgment, self-reflection, and adaptability. These decisions produce highly visible, real-time impacts across school districts, education partners, and the broader public.

Additional expectations include collaboration across state agencies, leadership, and modeling of leadership excellence PESB staff, boards, and with external partners, public engagement, navigating internal and external issues, challenges, and support/resourcing needs, and finding positive solutions that serve PESB’s primary constituents. The decisions made by the individual holding this position are supervisory in nature and include administrative and policy recommendations regarding the agency’s organization, programs, priorities, goals, and equity and inclusion practices. These decisions have a direct impact on the strategic planning efforts and execution of those plans to support the educators who are responsible for the academic success of Washington’s 1.1+ million diverse students. These decisions also have a direct impact on some of Washington’s most vulnerable students who have been historically underserved. Every student is an asset to Washington. The individual holding this position will make decisions that help systems recognize the assets our children and families bring to our schools and provide culturally responsive systems.

Supervisory responsibilities

26 at-will employees

Qualifications (knowledge, skills, and abilities)

• Communication: Informs statewide discourse on education policy; communicates with high-level policymakers and stakeholders in a manner that advances the agency’s priorities.
• Innovation: Transforms systems and programs so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.
• Intentional engagement: Centers constituent voice, particularly those historically excluded, in policy and implementation and inside of the agency.
• Mentoring and developing people: Cultivates leadership capacity across state systems and within the agency.
• Stewardship: Manages large-scale public investments in a transparent, equitable, and outcome-oriented manner.
• Business acumen: Navigates legal, fiscal, and political complexity to achieve

strategic progress and outcomes.

Required minimum qualifications

• Master’s degree from an accredited educational institution.
• Experience in public school administration, higher education, or other large, diverse organizations (no less than 10 years).
• Five years of demonstrated successful related supervisory and leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, multi-agency initiatives with significant public and political visibility.
• Experience providing counsel to executive-level leadership and/or elected officials, or boards, and effectively implementing strategic direction.
• Upon hire, the candidate must reside in Washington state.

The Executive Director position is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of the Board, and is an exempt, at-will position.

Compensation

The annual compensation for this position is $159,101 - $198,876 per year and depends on experience, educational background, and qualifications. Geographic differentials may be applied based on the work location of the successful candidate. Washington state offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, and life insurance, retirement, and an optional deferred compensation program. Please visit the Health Care Authority website for information regarding health benefits and the Department of Retirement Systems for retirement plan information. This position serves at the pleasure of the Board and is Civil Service Exempt. The position is not represented by a bargaining unit.

The Professional Educator Standards Board is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from job seekers who will contribute to our diversity. PESB provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the

Human Resources Office at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io.