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Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction
| Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Non-partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2011-2013 FY Budget: | $7,449,902,874 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Authority: | Oregon Statutes, Chapter 326.111 |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by Governor |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Rob Saxton |
| Assumed office: | September 14, 2012 |
| Compensation: | $72,000 |
| Other Oregon Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
As part of Gov. John Kitzhaber's 2011 reorganization of the entire state education system, the Superintendent is overseen by the newly created position of chief education officer.[1]
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Rob Saxton. He was appointed by Gov. Kitzhaber in July 2012 and confirmed by the state Senate on September 14th as the Oregon's first Deputy Superintendent of Education under the new education law.[2] Former superintendent Susan Castillo announced her resignation on June 4, 2012. Castillo was lured away from her elected post office by the opportunity to serve as regional vice president for the non-profit Project Lead The Way, which is "the leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math educational" curricula to middle and high schools in the country.[3] She was first elected on May 21, 2002, and began her third term in January 2011. Her departure, over two years ahead of schedule, marked the end of the office's approximately 150 year run as an independent, elected position. A new law passed in 2011 transferred "responsibility for the state's half-million students attending 1,200 public and charter schools" to the governor, who will appoint a chief education officer for assistance, as well as a "superboard that oversees spending and policy for every level."[4]
Authority
The office of Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction is established in Chapter 326 of the Oregon Statutes.
Chapter 326.111: Department of Education; composition; functions
| The Department of Education is created and shall function under the direction and control of the State Board of Education with the Superintendent of Public Instruction serving as an administrative officer for public school matters. |
Elections
In the past the superintendent was elected for a term of four years. However, this changed in 2011. As part of Gov. John Kitzhaber's reorganization of the entire state education system, the governor began appointing the position after Susan Castillo left office in the summer of 2012.[1]
Duties
The official duties of the superintendent are outlined in Chapter 326 of the Oregon Statutes[5]
- Act as administrative officer of the State Board of Education.
- Act as executive head of the Department of Education and direct and supervise all activities of the department.
- Assist all district school boards and education service district boards in answering questions concerning the proper administration of the school laws, the rules of the State Board of Education and the ministerial duties of school officers and teachers. The decision of the superintendent shall guide school officers and teachers in the performance of their duties relating to the matters decided. The superintendent may submit any question to the State Board of Education which shall then decide the question.
- Obtain and compile such statistical information relative to the condition and operation of the public schools as the superintendent or the state board may consider advisable for the advancement of education and for the information of the state board and the public.
- Appoint, subject to the State Personnel Relations Law and with the approval of the State Board of Education, such personnel as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the office of the superintendent. The Superintendent of Public Instruction may designate one or more suitable persons to sign or countersign warrants, vouchers, certificates or other papers and documents requiring the signature of the superintendent.
- Administer and supervise adult education programs in the public elementary and secondary schools.
- Perform such other functions as may be necessary to the performance of the duties of the superintendent.
Divisions
- Assessment & Information
- Educational Improvement & Innovation
- Finance & Administration
- Student Learning & Partnerships
- State Board of Education
State budget
The budget for the Department of Education in Fiscal Year 2011-2013 was $ 7,449,902,874.[6]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
In 2012, the Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction was paid an estimated $72,000 according to the Council of State Governments.
Contact information
Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem, OR 97310-0203
Phone: (503) 947-5600
Fax: (503) 378-5156
See also
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Oregon Live, "Oregon to seek powerful 'chief education officer' to revamp preschool, public schools, colleges," December 1, 2011
- ↑ Oregon Department of Education, "Deputy Superintendent's Biography," accessed September 28, 2012
- ↑ Project Lead The Way, "About Us," accessed June 5, 2012
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcastillo - ↑ Oregon Statutes, "326.310: Superintendent's educational duties," accessed September 29, 2011
- ↑ Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office, "Analysis in the 2011-13 Legislatively Adopted Budget," accessed April 10, 2013
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