ACSD1 chief academic officer named Wyoming curriculum director of the year

Dr. Kate Kniss, Albany County School District 1’s chief academic officer, has been named the 2026 Wyoming Curriculum Director of the Year, a statewide nod that puts a spotlight on the district office that helps shape what students learn in Laramie, Rock River and Centennial.

The recognition matters because Kniss is not just overseeing a single program. In ACSD#1, the Teaching and Learning Department covers curriculum, instruction, MTSS, career-readiness programming, multilingual learning, early literacy, preschool, summer programming, credit recovery, professional development and coaching and collaboration. The district says that work is aimed at high-quality educational experiences for both students and teachers, and its contact chart lists the chief academic officer as the lead for curriculum and academic concerns in the district’s chain of communication.

For Albany County families, that means Kniss’s role reaches into the daily workings of classrooms, teacher support and academic planning across the district. Curriculum leadership affects how lessons are organized, how teachers get support, and how the district responds to changing academic expectations. In a system where school performance and budget pressure remain regular public concerns, the honor suggests one of ACSD1’s top academic leaders is being recognized by peers for work that extends well beyond paperwork or standards review.

Kniss brings a long record to the post. County 5 previously reported that she has spent 21 years in education and the past 10 years working with K-12 teachers in Albany County School District. Her background includes time as a classroom teacher, interventionist, instructional facilitator and professional development coordinator, a path that helps explain why the award appears to reflect districtwide instructional leadership rather than a single project or event.

The award also fits a broader Wyoming professional network that treats curriculum work as a serious state-level responsibility. A similar honor in 2025 went to Ryan Boettcher of Big Horn County School District No. 1, who was named Curriculum Director of the Year by the Wyoming Curriculum Directors Association at its Spring Conference in Casper. That recognition was peer-nominated and came with duties that reached beyond curriculum into grants, instruction, accreditation, Title IX and McKinney-Vento work, underscoring how much responsibility often sits with the role.

For ACSD1, Kniss’s honor signals that the district’s academic office is operating with statewide credibility. The practical test will be whether that leadership continues to show up in stronger instructional support, better aligned programs and clearer academic pathways for students across Albany County.