Christopher Koch is the president of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP leads efforts to advance equity and excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P–12 student learning. He began his career in education as a teacher of students with disabilities and worked for the U.S. Department of Education to improve education programs in jails and prisons. Koch held a number of administrative roles for the Illinois Education Agency and served as the State Superintendent of Education for 8 years. Koch holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and master’s and doctoral degrees from the George Washington University.