State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Appoints Shanine Coats as Director of Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced today that he has appointed Shanine Coats as the new Director of the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division (CFIRD) at the California Department of Education (CDE).

“Like many of our talented staff here at the CDE, Shanine is and always will be a teacher with a passion for student achievement,” said Thurmond. “That drive will be invaluable as she guides the development of instructional resources for California’s schools. With her experience, she will be instrumental in making connections not only with state and federal programs but between curriculum, instruction, assessment, and accountability as a whole. We are very fortunate to have her leadership.”

As Director of CFIRD, Coats is responsible for the development of statewide policies, goals, and objectives for standards, curriculum, instructional resources, and translation programs. She is also responsible for providing leadership to advisory committees, including acting as Executive Director of the Instructional Quality Commission. In addition, Coats will provide administrative direction and supervision to approximately 60 employees who are organized into five offices.

Coats has served within various capacities at CDE. She has worked as the lead investigator in matters of state and federal program compliance, as an Education Administrator for the Deputy Superintendent, as Interim Director for the Improvement and Accountability Division and, most recently, as the Federal Policy Liaison. Additionally, Coats is a key member of California’s Statewide System of Support, where she uses her knowledge in design-thinking to help improve academic, behavioral, and social and emotional outcomes for all of California’s diverse learners.

This wide range of experience and knowledge is a great asset in her new role helping lead California’s development of instructional resources that meet the needs of each and every student.

Born and raised in Sacramento, Coats attended public schools. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and her multiple-subject teaching credential from California State University, Sacramento. During her years as an elementary school teacher, she continued her education, earning a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Coats enjoys reading, playing the cello and, most of all, spending quality time with her family.

# # # #

Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100