Dr. Kayleen Irizarry

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary and Secondary Education

Dr. Kayleen Irizarry currently serves as OSSE’s Assistant Superintendent of Elementary and Secondary Education.  In this role, Dr. Irizarry is responsible for key program areas including: student assessments and statewide accountability systems, common core standards, educator licensure and accreditation, and charter school funding and support. Dr. Irizarry also oversees the agency’s Race to the Top programming and strategically manages over $100 million in federal grants. She additionally supports DC’s local education agencies’ drive to improve academic outcomes for children and youth.

Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Dr. Kayleen Irizarry immigrated to Chicago, Illinois at the age of 5 where she attended Chicago Public Schools. She was accepted to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign through the Educational Opportunities Program and obtained a BA in Political Science. After teaching in Chicago Public Schools, Kayleen obtained her PhD in Educational Policy Studies (2000) while working full-time at the Illinois State Board of Education. 

Prior to accepting the position of Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Irizarry  served as  the Officer of Grants Management and Administration for Chicago Public Schools where she managed and provided guidance on the use of over $1 billion for various federal and state-funded educational programs, benefitting 675 public schools and 239 private schools. In addition to her extensive local and state-level educational management experience, she is a published author and lecturer.