Chad Magendanz

for Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Seattle Times Endorsement Municiple League Rating

An Experienced Leader in Education

While not necessarily indicating an endorsement for the 2024 campaign, here are some testimonials that highlight Chad's qualifications and legislative accomplishments:

Magendanz’s experience and grasp of the issues remains sharp and forward-looking. His proven record of independent thinking, working across the aisle, and well respected work on the McCleary bill put him in the best position to make needed reforms to truly bring equity to all Washington schools.

The Seattle Times

10/14/2022

Magendanz has deep knowledge of Washington’s education system and has been successful at working across the aisle to build coalitions. ... Magendanz’s deep experience and leadership in education policy makes him the clear choice.

The Seattle Times

10/10/2018

He’s quickly proven to be one of the clearest thinkers in the Legislature, particularly on education and transportation. He combines fiscal realism, data-driven wonkishness and left-leaning views on social issues such as abortion rights.

The Seattle Times

8/22/2014

Magendanz brings much-needed moderation and intellectual rigor to Olympia.

The Seattle Times

7/2/2014

Magendanz’s potential to work across the aisle in Olympia is demonstrated by his work with the local teachers union and parent advocates.

The Seattle Times

7/15/2012

Magendanz’s experience on the Issaquah School Board and now with one term of experience in the legislature puts him in a good position to address our state’s top priority of funding education.

Issaquah Press

10/28/2014

Magendanz’s experience on the Issaquah School Board and as a state education advocate put him in a good position to address the top priority in the education-focused 5th District. He understands firsthand the impacts of budget cuts to local schools and has already proven himself as an education advocate in Olympia.

SnoValley Star

10/24/2012

Magendanz knows the Washington education system from all sides and has worked diligently to promote accountability and quality education for years. Chad expertly ties together the ability for economic growth in this state to the need for a well educated and supported workforce. He will be a persistent and dedicated advocate on behalf of education in Olympia.

League of Education Voters

5/29/2012

A former school board member and ranking member of the House Education Committee, he has also advanced many bills that further college preparation and access in our K-12 system. Magendanz background and experience make him an important advocate for higher education as part of our broader public education system.

Graduate Washington

7/6/2014

Chad is the best option for Tahoma’s parents. ... While Tahoma Parents does not like to dwell in the arena of partisan politics, we made an exception for Magendanz due to his background in education within the state.

TahomaParents.org

7/13/2022

Chad has a proven ability to find common ground, build consensus, and move forward around a shared vision.

Sen. Rodney Tom (D)

Senate Majority Leader, 10/13/2014

Chad is eager to listen and engage to address the needs of his community. I’ve reached out to him for guidance on education issues important to parents, and he’s always been ready and willing to help.

Beth Sigall

Eastside Education Network, 10/12/2018

Students Must Come First!

You're not alone if you feel our public schools aren't serving our students. Parents, students and teachers across Washington state want change.

Chad will bring the focus back on students, treat parents as partners, demand accountability for taxpayer dollars, and insist on academic achievement and student success.

Chad is the only candidate who's been in the trenches as a public school teacher, a state legislator and education policy leader, and a tech executive. He is uniquely qualified to make the changes we need in our schools.

About

Bio

Chad Magendanz (pronounced like Häagen-Dazs) served two terms as state representative for the 5th Legislative District, which comprises the eastern third of King County. He was elected to caucus leadership his first year and served as ranking Republican on the House Education Committee and as a member of House Higher Education, Technology and Economic Development, Appropriations and Rules committees. Previously, he served as the Issaquah School Board president and in leading roles of other regional and statewide education-related committees and boards. After almost unseating the incumbent state senator in 2016 with 49.7% of the vote, he’s now running for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Chad has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Central Washington University. He served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years as a nuclear submarine officer and then worked at Microsoft for over 20 years in various roles. He joined Voter Science in 2017 as its Director of Product Development and has also been teaching computer science full-time in the Bellevue School District since 2019. He and his wife of 35 years reside on Tiger Mountain and have two boys who recently graduated with CS degrees from MIT and the University of Utah.


Welcome!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my website and learn more about my 2024 campaign for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

As an officer in the U.S. Navy, I pledged to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic…and I am still delivering on that promise today. I see challenges to our cherished way of life in the decline of student achievement, the erosion of local control and parental rights, and promotion of partisan political ideology in our classrooms.

During my career at Microsoft, I personally represented the company to U.S. senators and congressional staff, state attorneys general, hundreds of Fortune 500 CEOs, and thousands of industry insiders. As president of the Issaquah School Board, I represented the school district’s 17,831 students and 59,358 voters and supervised its $294 million annual budget. And as a computer science teacher, I now see public education from the trenches while hundreeds of students pass through my classroom every year with their own unique stories and priorities.

For two terms I represented the 5th Legislative District as Ranking Minority Member on the House Education Committee and a lead negotiator for the McCleary remedy, which resulted in the State increasing its K-12 funding over 8 years by 105% while also easing the tax burden on 44% of districts by reducing net school levy rates. I was also prime sponsor of the charter school funding fix in the House, which along with our McCleary remedy was ratified by the Supreme Court in 2018.

K-12 funding as Percentage of NGF

For more details on my extensive policy work, check out The Magendanz Minute video series or watch my interview with Brandi Kruse on the [un]Divided podcast.

[Un]Divided Interview

Please allow me the opportunity to continue to support and defend our public schools once again in Olympia.

Chad

Resume

In an era of hyper-partisan politics, Chad has earned a reputation for building bridges. An education champion in Olympia, he formed bipartisan coalitions passing landmark legislation on computer science education, innovative schools, electric vehicles, and cybercrime.

Education

Master of Arts in Teaching

2019 - 2021

Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA

Alternative route to certification with endorsements in Computer Science and Technology Education. First to pass edTPA during COVID lockdowns. (3.961 GPA)

Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering

1985 - 1989

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

College scholar program and full-ride Navy ROTC scholarship

Public Service

State Representative

2013 - 2017

Two terms as state representative for the 5th Legislative District, home to over 150,000 in the eastern third of King County, including Issaquah, East Renton Highlands, Maple Valley, Black Diamond, Carnation, Fall City, Snoqualmie, and North Bend through Snoqualmie Pass. Elected to caucus leadership (Asst. Floor Leader) in 2013.

  • House Education (2013–17, Ranking Member from 2014–17)
  • House Appropriations (2015–17)
  • House Technology & Economic Development (2013–17)
  • House Higher Education (2013–15)
  • House Rules (2013–15)
  • Assistant Minority Floor Leader (2013–14)
  • Technology Services Board (2013–17)
  • Joint Legislative Systems Committee (2013–17, Chair from 2014–16)
  • Joint Select Committee on Article IX Litigation (2014–17, Co-chair from 2015–17)
  • Quality Education Council (2013–15)
  • Career Education Opportunities Joint Legislative Task Force (2013–17)
  • Education Accountability System Oversight Committee (2013–17)
  • Legislative Task Force on School Siting (Co-chair, 2015–16)
  • Governor's Work Group on Education Funding (2015–16)
  • Education Funding Task Force (2016–17)

Major legislation passed:

  • HB 1813 (Computer Science Education) - Republican co-sponsor w/ Rep. Drew Hansen
  • HB 1472 (Computer Science) - Sponsored committee substitute w/ Rep. Drew Hansen
  • HB 2375 (Cybercrime) - Prime sponsor, speaker at NCSL 2016
  • HB 1853 (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) - Prime sponsor
  • SB 6248 (Coal Transition) - Republican co-sponsor of House companion bill
  • HB 2382 (Alt. Routes to Teacher Certification) - Prime sponsor, amended in full to SB 6455 (Teacher Shortage)
  • SB 6194 (Charter Schools) - Prime sponsor of House companion bill
  • SB 6245 (Near Vision Screening) - Prime sponsor of House companion
  • HB 2449 (Truancy Reduction) - Republican co-sponsor w/ Rep. Tina Orwall
  • SB 6195 (Basic Education Obligations) - Republican co-sponsor of House companion bill
  • HB 2443 (Economic Success Metrics) - Prime sponsor, passed as budget proviso

Awards:

  • 2012-18 Outstanding Rating from Municipal League of King County
  • 2013-14 Cornerstone Award from the Association of Washington Business
  • 2014 Pioneer Educator from Digital Public Schools Alliance
  • 2015 Outstanding Legislator from Community Employment Alliance
  • 2015-16 Guardian of Small Business from National Federation of Independent Business
  • 2016 Crayon Award from Early Learning Action Alliance

School Director

2008 - 2013

Issaquah School District, Issaquah, WA

Appointed and later elected to local school board, providing policy governance for 25 schools and 17,831 students, preparing each to accept the academic, occupational, personal, and practical challenges of life in a dynamic global environment. Served in the following roles:

  • Board President (2011–12)
  • Legislative Representative (2009–11)
  • Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) Legislative Committee (2009–12)
  • National School Boards Association (NSBA) Legislative Coordinator for Congressional District 8 (2009–12)
  • Washington State Online Learning Advisory Committee (2009–13)

Awards:

  • 2012 Board of Distinction from WSSDA
  • 2009 Outstanding Advocate from Washington State PTA

Lieutenant, Submarine Service

1985 - 1997

U.S. Navy, Bangor, WA

Thorough knowledge of design and operation of engineering plant equipment including heat exchangers, hydraulic plants, pneumatic systems, steam turbines, diesel engines, lube oil systems, pumps, valves, water chemistry controls, radiological controls, electrical power generation and distribution as well as plant parameter monitoring and control equipment. Implemented extensive maintenance and quality assurance programs for the same systems. Qualified Officer of the Deck, Ship’s Duty Officer, Engineering Officer of the Watch, and Ship’s Engineer.

Professional Certifications

  • Washington Residency Teaching Certificate #556012C (through 6/30/2027) with Comp Sci and Tech Ed endorsements
  • Idaho Standard Instructional Certificate: #467927945 (through 8/31/2024) with Comp Sci endorsement
  • Florida Educator Certificate: #1459265 (through 6/30/2027) with Comp Sci and Eng & Tech Ed endorsements
  • Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE)
  • Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE)
  • Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
  • Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)
  • Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
  • Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) in 12 subjects
  • Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS 2019)
  • Amazon AWS Academy Educator
  • Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) in Visual Design
  • Unity Certified Instructor
  • Unity Certified Professional: Programmer (UCP)

Professional Experience

Computer Science Teacher

2019 - Present

Bellevue School District, Bellevue, WA

Full-time teacher of AP Computer Science, CS Special Topics, CS Discoveries (Code.org), Python (TechSmart), Media Technologies (Adobe), Digital Technologies (Microsoft) and Mobile Game Development (Unity) at Sammamish High and Odle Middle. District recognized for state’s top four public high schools (Niche 2022 rankings).

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

2017 - Present

Voter Science, Bellevue, WA

Director of product development for political canvassing, fundraising and analytics tools; developer of mobile clients on Android and iOS platforms

Computer Science Teacher

Summer 2021

The Lakeside School, Seattle, WA

Designed and taught Intro to Python (Microsoft) and Mobile App Development (Unity) courses for Lakeside's Investigative Learning Camp, where students entering grades 5 through 8 explore science, technology, engineering, arts, math and writing in hands-on, project-based classes

TEALS Computer Science Teacher

2017 - 2019

Gibson Ek High School, Issaquah, WA

Volunteer instructor for Technology Education and Literacy in Schools (TEALS), a program that the Issaquah School Board helped start with Kevin Wang from Microsoft Philanthropies in 2009 that has grown to 650 schools nationwide.

User Experience Manager

2004 - 2019

Jetstream Software, Kirkland, WA

Contract software design and development for the following products:

  • Virtual Garage, Bosch Automotive
  • In-Flight Entertainment Concepts, Panasonic Avionics
  • Luxor Live Traffic Monitoring System, BlueMAC
  • Space Needle iPhone App, Space Needle, LLC
  • Threat Modeling Tool, Microsoft (Security Development Lifecycle)
  • Security Basics, Dev Ops, & Threat Modeling Courses, Microsoft (IEB Security Assurance)
  • File Server Admin Console, Microsoft (Server)
  • Robotics Developer Studio, Microsoft (Robotics)
  • Genuine Rewards Program, Microsoft (Channel Marketing)
  • Windows 8 Shell & App Store, Microsoft (Windows XDR)
  • Microsoft Surface 2.0, Microsoft (Surface)
  • Microsoft CRM Online, Microsoft (Microsoft Dynamics)
  • Consumer Kiosk, MOD Systems 2/08–4/09
  • NextWeb Home Page Components, Microsoft (Developer and Platform Evangelism)
  • Supernova, Syntrix Biosystems
  • Microsoft Business Systems Demos, Microsoft (Microsoft Dynamics)
  • Nike+ Sportband, Nike
  • Rave CRM, Entellium
  • WebIRIS Incident Management Client, Iomedix
  • Desktop Deployment Tracker, Microsoft (MacBU)
  • Video Performance Tuner, Microsoft (eHome)
  • Windows Vista Audio/Video Configuration, Microsoft (WAVE)
  • CereVision Stroke Diagnostics, Digital Partners
  • Windows Vista Audio Effects, Microsoft (CMPT)
  • Deployment Tool, Microsoft (Hosting)

Awards:

  • 2008 SIIA Codie Awards, Finalist for Best Software as a Service Solution
  • 2007 BusinessWeek IDEA Awards, Bronze for Interaction Design
  • 2007 SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards, Most Innovative SMB Infrastructure Software

Program Manager

1995 - 2004

Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA

Responsible for overall design and project management for the following products:

  • Windows Vista, Windows Hardware Innovation Group
  • Windows XP, Windows User Experience Team
  • Office 2001 for Macintosh, Macintosh Business Unit
  • Office 98 for Macintosh, Macintosh Business Unit
  • Encarta Online, Reference Business Unit
  • Encarta 97 (Mac), Reference Business Unit
  • Bookshelf 1996-97 Edition (Mac), Reference Business Unit
  • Exploring Planetary Worlds (Win), Lifestyles Business Unit
  • Frank Lloyd Wright (Mac), Lifestyles Business Unit

As QA Lead:

  • Cinemania 95 & 96 (Mac & Win), Lifestyles Business Unit
  • Music Central 96 (Mac), Lifestyles Business Unit
  • Wine Guide (Mac & Win), Lifestyles Business Unit
  • Ancient Lands 1.0 (Mac), Lifestyles Business Unit
  • Art Gallery 1.0a (Mac), Lifestyles Business Unit

Awards:

  • 25th Annual Telly Awards (2003), Bronze for Film/Video
  • Microsoft DesignDay 2004 Awards, Most Innovative Design
  • Microsoft DesignDay 2003 Interactionary Competition, Winner
  • PC World 20th World Class Award, Best Operating System
  • BusinessWeek Best Products of 2001
  • Comdex Eighteenth Annual Awards for Technical Excellence
  • Macworld Best New Software Product of the Year
  • MacUser Editor's Choice Awards, 2 Winners & 3 Finalists
  • Macworld World Class Awards, 2 Winners & 1 Finalist
  • Apple Design Awards, 2 Finalists
  • Microsoft Patent Awards, 20 Total

Contribute to the Campaign

“The hard truth is that successful political campaigns spend a lot of money to communicate with voters. The special interests in Olympia need to know that citizens stand up for their principles with both their votes and their financial support.” — Chad

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Download the Contribution Form to support Chad's 2024 campaign for Superintendent of Public Instruction. If your company requires an EIN for tax reporting purposes, our IRS Form W-9 is also available. Note that political campaign contributions are NOT tax deductible.

Make checks payable to:

Citizens for Chad Magendanz

Please send your check to:

Citizens for Chad Magendanz
P.O. Box 607
Issaaquah, WA 98027

For the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, please also include:

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Maximum contribution amount is $2,400 per individual, PAC, union or corporation per election, for a total (combining primary and general election) of $4,800. Couples can contribute twice these amounts.

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Issaquah, WA 98027

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