News release - Education Commissioner forms Teacher Cabinet

March 30 , 2017

Education Commissioner forms Teacher Cabinet

Applications being accepted for teacher representatives to advise on policy implementation and provide ideas on improving education for all students

Colorado Education Commissioner Katy Anthes today announced the creation of a new Teacher Cabinet to serve as a sounding board for the implementation of state education policy and to brainstorm solutions for some of the challenges facing today’s educators.

The Commissioner’s Teacher Cabinet will be made up of 15 teachers from around the state representing small, medium, large, rural, suburban and urban school systems.  Applications are currently being accepted for the 2017-18 cabinet.

“The way new laws and policies are implemented can have profound impacts on educators and their students, and I’ve long thought the department needed a more systematic way to gather feedback and ideas from our educators,” Anthes said.

The cabinet will also help brainstorm new solutions to some of the most challenging issues facing educators today, such as raising achievement among all students, supporting low-performing schools and increasing the number of individuals joining the teaching profession.

“I believe teaching is in fact harder than rocket science, and as we grapple with some of our complex challenges, I want to tap into the best thinking from educators all over the state of Colorado,” Anthes said.

To be considered for the Commissioner’s Teacher Cabinet, educators must have at least three years of experience in the classroom and must submit an application, resume and two letters of recommendation to CDE by May 5, 2017.  Selected educators will serve two years on the cabinet beginning in August 2017.

Teachers will be selected by a diverse committee, including the current Teacher of the Year Sean Wybrant, the commissioner, and other external stakeholders. 

For more information, visit the Commissioner home page.