State Board of Education elects two new members

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn announced the winners of two State Board of Education elections.

The winner for Western Position 3 was Kevin Laverty. 

For Eastern Region Position 1, no candidate received more than 50 percent plus one of the total votes cast in the initial election. In a runoff election in early December, Cynthia McMullen defeated Steve Dal Porto.

Both elected board members will begin their terms January 9, 2012.

The Washington State Board of Education is responsible for strategic oversight of the public K-12 system. It meets regularly to explore policy implications for schools, to advocate for best practices, to engage the public in discourse about the state education system, and to anticipate future challenges that lie ahead and provide strategies for how those challenges might be met.

The board is composed of 16 members:

• two members from the eastern region of the state, elected by public school directors;
• three members from the western region, elected by public school directors;
• one member, at large, elected by approved private schools;
• the superintendent of public instruction;
• seven members appointed by the governor; and
• two student representatives selected by the state board itself.