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KSDE welcomes Lindsey Graf as director of special education
Jul 23, 2026
by Angela DeinesLindsey Graf’s intention was never to get into administration when her education career began.
“And then life just takes you down all kinds of different paths,” said Graf, who officially begins her duties as the Kansas State Department of Education’s director of special education on Aug. 3. “When this job came open, I kind of reached out to several people in the field. We wanted somebody local or at least from Kansas that understood Kansas education systems and so I threw my name in.”
Graf comes to KSDE most recently as the director of special education at the Coffey County Special Education Cooperative in Burlington. Prior to that, she was a SPED administrator for Topeka USD 501and the assistant director of special education at Keystone Learning Services in Ozawkie. She has also served on KSDE’s Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC).
Graf earned her bachelor's degree in secondary education social studies from Friends University, in Wichita, with the original intention of becoming a history teacher. She earned her master’s degree in school counseling from Wichita State University and her master’s degree in building leadership from Emporia State University, where she also earned her special education license. She earned her district leadership license from Washburn University.
What drew her to education, even as a child growing up in Neodesha, Leavenworth and Lansing, was her ability to see the possibilities in everyone.
“I always had somebody I took under my wing,” Graf said, “and it was typically that person who was struggling. What drew me into special education? I don't know. Maybe it was always just there, and I had to recognize it.”
Regarding her priorities as KSDE’s director of special education, Graf said she plans to continue learning agency processes, getting to know staff she doesn't know already and doing a lot of listening to the field.
“I'm here for them,” she said. “I'd like to come out and visit and see them and how can we just help support what their needs are."
