Laurie Matzke currently works for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction where she serves as the Assistant State Superintendent. She oversees the Student Support & Innovation Division which includes the academic offices within the department. Laurie graduated from Valley City State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and minors in reading and early childhood education. She obtained her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction at California State University, Fullerton. She taught first grade for five years in Corona, California before joining the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction in 1994. Laurie, her husband Brad, and their three children reside in Bismarck, ND.