Laura Scheibe serves as South Dakota’s Director for Career and Technical Education and the Director of the Division of College, Career, and Student Success at the South Dakota Department of Education (SD DOE).  In that capacity, she oversees secondary CTE programs and coordinates closely with the Board of Technical Education to oversee the state’s four public technical colleges.  She also guides Jobs for America’s Graduates – South Dakota, school counseling, dual credit, student wellness and supports, and other initiatives that work together to ensure students are prepared for success after graduation.  Previously, she was the Deputy Director of the Division of Accountability Systems at SD DOE, running the state’s ESEA accountability process and accreditation of K-12 schools.  She led the work to craft South Dakota’s Every Student Succeeds Act state plan; South Dakota’s Vision for CTE, the state’s plan under Perkins V; and works closely on the state’s educational response to COVID-19 and investment of stimulus funding.

Before returning to the Midwest, Ms. Scheibe served for more than a decade as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, in assignments both overseas and in Washington, D.C. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and a graduate certificate from the University of South Dakota.  Ms. Scheibe serves on the boards of a variety of professional and community organizations.  She and her husband Aaron are raising their two young sons in Pierre.