Christopher Koch Named CAEP President
AACTE congratulates Christopher A. Koch on his new appointment as president of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), announced today. He will oversee the national effort to implement an evidence-based accreditation system that aims to improve teacher quality and strengthen PK-12 learning.
“Chris is an ideal leader for CAEP,” said AACTE President/CEO Sharon P. Robinson. “He has experience partnering with teacher educators to meet the educational needs of diverse student populations. His dedication to service and the teaching profession is deep and profound, and his commitment to collaboration is evident. He has earned high regard as a trusted collaborator for the essential function of program accreditation.”
Koch had been serving as CAEP interim president since May 2015, after having been CAEP vice chair from the organization’s inception. He was also a member of CAEP’s Commission on Standards and Performance Reporting. He was Illinois state superintendent of education for more than 8 years, during which time he raised standards for teachers and worked to reduce the achievement gap. Koch held a number of other positions in his work for the Illinois State Board of Education since 1994, including chief education officer and director of special education. He has been a member of the Council of Chief State School Officers and served as its president in 2010-11. Prior to his work in Illinois, Koch comanaged the national correctional education office at the U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education. He began his career as a special education teacher in the metro DC area and holds master’s and doctoral degrees in educational policy and leadership from George Washington University (DC).
“Dr. Koch brings to this position deep knowledge of CAEP and rich experience in working with CAEP’s diverse stakeholders—universities and educator providers, PK-12 educators, chiefs and state boards of education, government, the education research and advocacy organizations, the public, and parents,” said CAEP Board Chair Mary Brabeck, dean emerita and professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
For more information about CAEP, visit CAEPnet.org.
Tags: AACTE partner organizations, accreditation
