Laura Kelso

Colorado Department of Education

As a dynamic service agency, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) provides leadership, resources, support, and accountability to the state's 178 school districts, 1,836 schools, and over 56,000 educators to help them build capacity to meet the needs of the state's over 889,000 public school students. CDE also provides services and support to boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES), early learning centers, state correctional schools, facility schools, the state's libraries, adult/family literacy centers, and the Colorado Talking Book Library. In addition, CDE provides structural and administrative support to the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind and the Charter School Institute. As the administrative arm of the State Board of Education, CDE is responsible for implementing state and federal education laws, disbursing state and federal funds, holding schools and districts accountable for performance, licensing all educators, and providing public transparency of performance and financial data. CDE serves students, parents, and the general public by protecting the public trust through ensuring adherence to laws, strong stewardship of public funds, and accountability for student performance.