Woodring College of Education Dean Kevin Roxas joins state’s Professional Educator Standards Board

Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Woodring College of Education Dean Kevin Roxas to the state’s Professional Educator Standards Board, the independent agency responsible for overseeing the state’s educator workforce.

Created in 2000, the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) is responsible for policy and oversight of Washington’s educator preparation, certification, assignment and professional growth systems. The 12-member board, the majority of whom are practicing educators, also serves as an advisory body to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“The PESB ensures every student in Washington is supported by well-trained, equity-minded professional teachers in their classrooms,” said Roxas. “Woodring College of Education, which trains a large portion of Washington’s educator workforce, is aligned with the PESB’s strategic priorities, which include centering the perspectives of educators, advancing equity in the preparation and practice of educators, using data and research to make informed decisions, and prioritizing initiatives that advance racial justice in education.”   

The board oversees teacher licensing and continuing education, the approval of new teacher education programs, responding to teacher shortages and diversifying the teacher workforce. In addition the PESB investigates inequities and barriers within the education system.

Roxas has been dean of Woodring since 2022. Before that, he was Woodring College’s associate dean for student success, access and outreach, as well as department chair and faculty member in Secondary Education. His research includes education equity issues, particularly the experiences of immigrant youth in schools and examining how pre-service teachers, teachers and social service providers can best serve immigrant and refugee youth.

He has been a principal investigator and co-investigator on several major grants that focus on social justice, retaining faculty of color and supporting immigrant students, and his publications share a similar focus on access, diversity, equity and inclusion. His most recent research project focuses on work with immigrant students, parents, and other family members as they use photography and visual and written narratives to powerfully describe their experiences in U.S. public schools and local communities.

His awards and honors include the G. Pritchy Smith Multicultural Educator of the Year Award in 2023 and the Carl A. Grant Multicultural Research Award in 2019, both from the National Association of Multicultural Education. He also received a 2016 Best Paper Award from the American Educational Studies Association for his article “Multicultural education and newcomer youth: Re-imagining a more inclusive vision for immigrant and refugee students.”

Inslee appointed Roxas for a term ending June 30, 2026.