Wyoming's Education Leader Is Delivering Results
In an era when many education leaders are focused on maintaining the status quo, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder has chosen a different path. Her bold leadership, meaningful reforms, and unwavering focus on students, families, and teachers have benefited students and educators alike.
Instead of just talking about academic excellence and educational innovation, results have occurred. Perhaps Degenfelder’s most significant accomplishment has been her leadership in advancing education freedom for Wyoming families. She helped champion Wyoming's Education Savings Account program, which provides families with funding for educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, curriculum, and other customized learning opportunities. Wyoming's program is notable for its broad eligibility and its support for pre-kindergarten students.
She has also been instrumental in expanding educational options through public charter schools, helping lead the effort to establish Wyoming's independent Charter School Authorizing Board. It’s an important reform that increases high-quality school choice opportunities across the state. The board's mission is to authorize and hold public charter schools accountable “to deliver innovative educational practices,” while the vision is to “provide unique educational choices for families.”
The timely efforts have also extended far beyond these significant school choice expansions. Wyoming has invested heavily in teacher development and support. This has included establishing a Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force, launching a Principal Leadership Academy in partnership with the University of Wyoming, creating the state's first TeacherCon, and developing a statewide professional development portal to help educators access training and meet certification requirements. Additionally, the Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Cabinet and Teacher Innovator Network were created, ensuring that teachers themselves have a voice in shaping education policy.
At a time when many states are overwhelming educators with bureaucracy, Wyoming is focused on reducing it. This has entailed streamlining state education standards, pursuing a reduction of assessments, and providing schools with practical guidance and training on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in education.
Students have benefited as well. The superintendent and her team helped secure a $24 million federal literacy grant to improve reading outcomes, expanded access to summer lunch programs, strengthened school safety training efforts, and advanced statewide mental health initiatives for students. Wyoming's academic performance has shown encouraging signs of recovery, with state assessment scores in English Language Arts and science returning to pre-pandemic levels and math scores nearly reaching that benchmark as well. Graduation rates have also increased.
Degenfelder has also actively worked to restore transparency and accountability in education, launching a curriculum transparency portal that allows parents and community members to review instructional materials used in participating school districts. Additionally, a model library policy was developed to help schools ensure that age-inappropriate materials are not readily available to children.
Importantly, there has been a demonstrated willingness to tackle politically difficult issues when many others would rather stay silent. As an ex officio member of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees, Degenfelder used her position to push for action regarding the university's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Following legislative action to eliminate state funding for the office, the university ultimately voted to close it and reassign essential functions elsewhere.
Career and technical education (CTE) has also been a major priority. Wyoming has increased support for career and technical student organizations, expanded funding flexibility for CTE programs, reduced administrative burdens associated with federal funding, and strengthened career counseling efforts for students considering high-demand career pathways.
The accomplishments of this state superintendent span every major area of education policy—advancing school choice, expanding charter schools, strengthening support for teachers, improving transparency for parents, prioritizing literacy, investing in career education, embracing innovation, and focusing relentlessly on student outcomes. Taken together, these results are increasingly rare in public education.
Debates in education for decades have been dominated by ideology, bureaucracy, and special interests. Degenfelder has focused on what matters most by giving families more opportunities, supporting great teachers, and helping students succeed. In turn, Wyoming has improved student outcomes and strengthened the state's future.
