Deputy Superintendent, Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Alan Burke is the deputy superintendent for K–12 education at the Office of the Superintendent of Instruction (OSPI) in Washington State. In this role, he oversees several divisions and statewide efforts in teaching and learning, career and college readiness, assessment and student information, student support services, teacher and principal evaluation, and early learning. Before coming to OSPI in February 2009, Burke held a number of positions over a 35-year career in public education, including middle school teacher and principal, assistant superintendent, and, from 1998 through 2009, superintendent of the Yelm School District. Burke earned his EdD from the University of Washington in 1990, completing a dissertation that described middle-level practices in the state and outlined steps to complete a successful junior high to middle school transition. Burke has worked with many educational associations and boards, including serving as president for Region 113 of the Washington Association of School Administrators and as a founding member and president of the Washington State Association for Middle Level Education. He currently serves on the FIRST Robotics Pacific Northwest Regional Advisory Board, Washington State Education Coordinating Council, and the board and executive committee of Education Northwest. He also represents OSPI on the boards of Washington Association for School Administrators and Washington State School Directors Association.