Educators for Excellence-Minnesota Names Casey Metcalfe State Director of Public Affairs

Metcalfe, a former educator and Director of Government Relations for Students United, will step into the chapter’s top role, leading Minnesota educators’ advocacy on literacy and other issues

October 6, 2026 — Educators for Excellence (E4E) announced today that Casey Metcalfe will serve as the new State Director of Public Affairs of E4E-Minnesota. Metcalfe, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, spent over a decade teaching middle school across Western Wisconsin and Minnesota, in rural, suburban, and urban classrooms. 

As a teacher, he led school-based equity teams, facilitated student-voice campaigns, and translated students’ and educators’ priorities into Capitol wins, including grant funding for highly successful teacher prep programs and disaggregated achievement data. After leaving the classroom in 2024, Metcalfe became Director of Government Relations for Students United, where he represented more than 50,000 Minnesota State University students and helped secure expanded basic-needs funding for students, stronger voting access, and priority-registration protections for student parents.

“Casey’s experience as a teacher leader with E4E-Minnesota, along with his experience as an advocate in the Capitol building, makes him the perfect fit for this role,” said Evan Stone, Co-Founder and CEO of E4E. “I can’t wait to see Casey get to work and do what he’s always been great at: mobilizing educators and advocating for our students.”

Metcalfe steps into the role as E4E-Minnesota continues its push to strengthen the state’s READ Act, a promising first step toward addressing Minnesota’s literacy crisis and ensuring students develop the most vital skill for academic success. And it comes amid new national teacher survey data showing that 94% of teachers believe educators should use high-quality, evidence-based curricula, yet only 47% rate their own instructional materials as adequate.

“Every policy win I’ve been part of started the same way: listening to the people closest to the problem and turning what they told us into something concrete,” said Metcalfe. “Minnesota’s teachers have been clear about what their students need to learn to read and feel supported at school. This role means making sure it gets heard not just in the classroom but also in the Capitol building. I’m ready to get to work.”

###

Founded by public school teachers, Educators for Excellence is a growing movement of teachers united by a common set of values and principles for improving student learning and elevating the teaching profession. Learn more at e4e.org.