Colorado Educator Preparation Advisory Committee (CEPAC)

Introduction:

As part of Senate Bill 23-258, the Colorado Department of Education has convened an eight-person committee, the Colorado Educator Preparation Advisory Committee (CEPAC), with representation from a variety of partner groups to provide input on relevant topics related to educator preparation and educator quality, such as:

authorization and reauthorization processes;
new or revised educator preparation standards;
strategies to better intersect and support Colorado schools; and
ways to increase the educator talent pipeline that meets Colorado's hiring needs, especially among underrepresented communities.

Members:

CEPAC consists of eight members, appointed by the Commissioner of Education in consultation with the Executive Director of Higher Education, and include representatives from the following groups:

An urban school district;
A rural school district;
A traditional educator preparation program;
An alternative educator preparation program;
A recent graduate from a Colorado educator preparation program that is currently teaching in a Colorado school;
The Colorado Department of Education;
The Department of Higher Education; and
The State Charter School Institute

Mary Bivens

Executive Director - Educator Workforce Development

Colorado Department of Education

Kim Caplan

Director of School Programs

Colorado Charter School Institute

Nikki Jost

Chief Human Resources Officer

Mesa County Valley School District

Marvin Lynn - CEPAC Chairperson

Dean and Professor

University of Colorado Denver

Rachele McCawley Robertson

Senior Director of Residency Operations and Implementation

Public Education and Business Coalition

Elizabeth Parra

Culturally Linguistically Diverse Education Teacher

Recent Graduate of Colorado Mountain College

Chris Rasmussen

Senior Director of Academic Pathways and Innovation

Colorado Department of Higher Education

Celine Wicks

Superintendent

Steamboat Springs School District

Meetings:

The first CEPAC meeting took place in November 2023. Current CEPAC members will inform the scheduling of future meetings to maximize opportunities for full group participation while addressing barriers to participation as much as possible. The initial meetings will support developing the group norms, purpose, function, and background knowledge during the winter and early spring of 2023-2024 school year.