Dr. Katie Jenner - Indiana Secretary of Education
As Indiana’s first Secretary of Education and the state’s top education official, Dr. Katie Jenner is responsible for establishing a unified, student-centered vision across the full spectrum of education, from Pre-K and K-12 to college.
As one of eight secretaries in Governor Mike Braun’s cabinet, Dr. Jenner oversees eight state agencies and boards which comprise approximately 60% of the state budget, or approximately $26 billion over the biennium. This includes leading the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), chairing the State Board of Education (SBOE), and overseeing Commission for Higher Education, Charter School Board, Education Employee Relations Board, Indiana School for the Deaf, Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Indiana State Library.
Under Secretary Jenner’s leadership, the state of Indiana and local schools have celebrated a number of successes in K-12 education, including:
- Literacy rates increasing for three consecutive years, including the largest-ever single-year increase in 2024;
- Chronic absenteeism rates improving for two consecutive years;
- The unanimous adoption of new high school diploma requirements that allow increased flexibility for students to personalize their journey;
- The highest Indiana high school graduation rate on record;
- Creating a comprehensive teacher supply and demand marketplace, matching educators with open positions and recruiting new teachers to the profession; and
- Transparently measuring school and student outcomes that matter most for parents, families, and educators with the Indiana GPS Dashboard.
Dr. Jenner previously served as a high school teacher, preschool-12 district leader, and as vice president of a statewide higher education institution. She is also a wife and mother to twin daughters. She lives in Madison, Indiana.
Transforming K-12 Education in Indiana
Under Dr. Jenner's leadership, the Indiana Department of Education has worked to transform K-12 education through numerous high-impact tactics. These are just a few examples of this work.
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