Mary Cathryn Ricker is a National Board Certified middle school English/language arts teacher currently serving as Executive Director of the Albert Shanker Institute. She has previously served as Minnesota’s Commissioner of Education, as Executive vice-president of the American Federation of Teachers, and as president of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers, Local 28. Prior to her leadership outside of the classroom, Ricker was a classroom teacher for 13 years in Minnesota, Washington state, and South Korea.