Former Superintendent Mike Riley found dead
Oct 10 2008
According to Interim Superintendent Karen Clark, former Bellevue School District Superintendent Mike Riley was found dead on the morning of Sept. 8 in his apartment in Virginia. He was 58.
At this time, the district is unaware of the exact cause of death or any additional information about funeral or memorial services.
Clark asks that the community please keep Riley’s wife Gail and his daughter Michelle in their thoughts during this difficult time.
Mike Riley served as Bellevue’s Superintendent for 11 years, beginning in 1996. Often praised as a visionary educator and strong leader, Riley focused his energy on raising teacher quality and providing a college level education to all students in the district. He addressed Bellevue school’s weak test scores; raising the level of education equality to all minority, immigrant and low-income students.
Over the years, Riley worked to develop a common curriculum for the district’s 16,000 students and increased the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses by roughly 70 percent. While in his position, he partnered with the College Board to ensure more teachers would receive the proper training for rigorous curriculum. A record setting number of teachers received National Board certification.
Riley left the district in 2007 to pursue a job as vice president for college readiness at the College Board in Virginia.
A memorial service will be held for Mike Riley on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2 PM at Bellevue First Presbyterian Church, 1717 Bellevue Way NE.
- Civil
- Smart
- On-topic
- Free from profanity
We ask that all participants own their words by registering for an account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and drive-by commenters.
As a community site, we ask that the community help by using the "Flag" button on each comment if they feel the comment has violated the rules. You can also use the up and down arrows on each comment to voice your opinion about that particular comment.
Want to tell us something but you don't want it to be public? Talk to us privately.
