Incumbent Chris Reykdal leads in Washington’s OSPI race

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal appears to be headed toward his third term with 54% of the votes tallied on Election Day. 

David Olsen, his opponent, held 46% of the votes as of Tuesday evening. The total could change in the coming days as more votes are counted. 

Reykdal, a Democrat endorsed by the state teachers’ union, served three terms in the Legislature prior to being elected as superintendent. His education experience also includes working as a public school teacher, on a local school board and in the leadership of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. 

A longtime Peninsula School Board member, Olson gained recognition for implementing a cell phone ban in his school district. Outside of education, his background also includes serving in the Navy and working in government banking where Washington cities and counties were his clients. A self-described fiscal conservative, Olson was the only candidate endorsed by Washington State Republicans. 

A key issue in the race was the question of academic performance in Washington schools. Olson argued that statewide academic performance has worsened under Reykdal’s leadership – and during the pandemic – resulting in lost ground nationally. But Reykdal argues that schools aren’t doing as poorly as his challengers – or national data – made it seem.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress – known as the nation’s report card – Washington schools are faring better than the national average. But test scores for two key testing years, fourth and eighth grade, show a steady decline in math and reading since at least 2017. While eighth-grade scores for 2022 were still above the national average, the fourth-grade scores dropped to be on par.

Reykdal says he would push to increase state spending on public schools if reelected. He wants to request an additional $1 billion – around $1,000 per student – in the next budget cycle.