Chiefs for Change today announced 13 chiefs have joined the network of state and district education leaders. Seven of the new members are alumni of the Chiefs for Change Future Chiefs leadership development program:
- Mohammed Choudhury—State Superintendent of Schools, Maryland
- Margaret Crespo—Superintendent, Laramie County School District 1, Wyoming
- Christine Fowler-Mack—Superintendent, Akron Public Schools, Ohio
- Christina Grant—Acting State Superintendent of Education, District of Columbia
- Jesús Jara—Superintendent, Clark County School District, Nevada
- Brian Kingsley—Superintendent, Poudre School District, Colorado
- LaTanya McDade—Superintendent, Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia
The other new members are:
- Gustavo Balderas—Superintendent, Edmonds School District, Washington
- Michael Hinojosa—Superintendent, Dallas Independent School District, Texas
- Katie Jenner—Secretary of Education, Indiana
- Frank Rodriguez—Superintendent, Beaufort County School District, South Carolina
- Alicia Thompson—Superintendent, Wichita Public Schools, Kansas
- Rodney Watson—Superintendent, Spring Independent School District, Texas
“As a bipartisan national network, Chiefs for Change has been meeting regularly with federal policymakers about the challenges in our systems, aggressively advocating for the approved Covid relief aid as well as federal support for vaccination efforts and safe in-person learning,” said Chiefs for Change Board Chair and incoming Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez. “Our community of leaders, including those we are welcoming today, is committed to using this moment to not only make up lost ground, but to create stronger education systems that meet all students’ needs and ensure they are ready to succeed in our rapidly changing world. I know that my colleagues and I will benefit from our new members’ insights as we lead in our own communities and collectively advocate for students in Washington.”
Members of Chiefs for Change are united around a core set of beliefs and advance policies and practices that make a difference for students. The chiefs have worked to expand school choice initiatives, promote the use of high-quality instructional materials, and create pathways to help ensure students graduate ready for college and meaningful careers.
“The outstanding chiefs joining our membership today are leading through immense pandemic-related challenges that none of us would have anticipated just a few short years ago,” said Chiefs for Change CEO Mike Magee. “I am especially pleased that we are bringing in so many alumni of our Future Chiefs program. This is exactly why we created the program—to help talented educators become superintendents, to diversify education leadership, and to grow the network of bold advocates who are doing what is right for students. Now, more than ever, our children need these Chiefs for Change.”
Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the new members, like all those who are a part of Chiefs for Change, are working to keep schools safe and open for full, in-person instruction. They are also implementing approaches to address students’ social and emotional needs and accelerate their learning. The network continues to hold regular meetings, where members discuss the work in their systems and share strategies, including for how to spend their federal Covid relief aid so that it has the greatest impact on student wellbeing and achievement. Immediately after passage of the American Rescue Plan, Chiefs for Change produced this memo outlining the areas systems should prioritize in order to best support students during the pandemic and prepare them to thrive in the years to come. Priority areas are: reopening schools and keeping them open; accelerating student learning; creating strong postsecondary pathways; closing the digital divide; and redesigning assessments and accountability systems.
In addition, the network developed the Fall 2021 School Reopening Toolkit, which is aligned to the 10-point framework from the Coalition to Advance Future Student Success. Information is structured to help districts assess their level of preparedness, design sound plans to protect health and support learning, and keep schools open for face-to-face instruction all year long.
Currently, there are 52 Chiefs for Change members, 41 of whom are actively serving as chiefs. Of that group, 33 are district chiefs and 8 are state chiefs. Fifty-one percent of the members are leaders of color, and 40 percent are women.
The following is a list of the full membership:
- Rob Anderson—Superintendent, Boulder Valley School District, Colorado
- Katy Anthes—Commissioner of Education, Colorado
- Gustavo Balderas—Superintendent, Edmonds School District, Washington
- Tammy Campbell—Former Superintendent, Federal Way Public Schools, Washington
- Mohammed Choudhury—State Superintendent of Schools, Maryland
- Sharon Contreras—Superintendent, Guilford County Schools, North Carolina
- Susana Cordova—Former Superintendent, Denver Public Schools, Colorado
- Margaret Crespo—Superintendent, Laramie County School District 1, Wyoming
- Mary Elizabeth Davis—Superintendent, Henry County Schools, Georgia
- John Deasy—Former Superintendent, Stockton Unified School District, California
- Paolo DeMaria—Former Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ohio
- Susan Enfield—Superintendent, Highline Public Schools, Washington
- Donald Fennoy—Former Superintendent, The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida
- Lewis Ferebee—Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools, District of Columbia
- Christine Fowler-Mack—Superintendent, Akron Public Schools, Ohio
- Chad Gestson—Superintendent, Phoenix Union High School District, Arizona
- Deborah Gist—Superintendent, Tulsa Public Schools, Oklahoma
- LaTonya Goffney—Superintendent, Aldine Independent School District, Texas
- Monica Goldson—CEO, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Maryland
- Eric Gordon—CEO, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Ohio
- T. Lamar Goree—Superintendent, Caddo Parish Public Schools, Louisiana
- Christina Grant—Acting State Superintendent of Education, District of Columbia
- Diana Greene—Superintendent, Duval County Public Schools, Florida
- Errick Greene—Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools, Mississippi
- Michael Hinojosa—Superintendent, Dallas Independent School District, Texas
- William Hite—Superintendent, The School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Millard House II—Superintendent, Houston Independent School District, Texas
- Angélica Infante-Green—Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Rhode Island
- Janice Jackson—Former CEO, Chicago Public Schools, Illinois
- Jesús Jara—Superintendent, Clark County School District, Nevada
- Barbara Jenkins—Superintendent, Orange County Public Schools, Florida
- Katie Jenner—Secretary of Education, Indiana
- Aleesia Johnson—Superintendent, Indianapolis Public Schools, Indiana
- Bryan Johnson—Former Superintendent, Hamilton County Schools, Tennessee
- Michael Johnson—Commissioner of Education, Alaska
- Kyla Johnson-Trammell—Superintendent, Oakland Unified School District, California
- Brian Kingsley—Superintendent, Poudre School District, Colorado
- Christina Kishimoto—Former Superintendent, Hawaii
- Henderson Lewis, Jr.—Superintendent NOLA Public Schools, Louisiana
- Pedro Martinez—Incoming CEO, Chicago Public Schools, Illinois
- LaTanya McDade—Superintendent, Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia
- Scott Muri—Superintendent, Ector County Independent School District, Texas
- Harrison Peters—Former State Turnaround Superintendent, Providence Public Schools, Rhode Island
- Orlando Riddick—Former Superintendent, Midland Independent School District, Texas
- Frank Rodriguez—Superintendent, Beaufort County School District, South Carolina
- Robert Runcie—Former Superintendent, Broward County Public Schools, Florida
- Ian Saltzman—Superintendent, Everett Public Schools, Washington
- Sonja Santelises—CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools, Maryland
- Penny Schwinn—Commissioner of Education, Tennessee
- Alicia Thompson—Superintendent, Wichita Public Schools, Kansas
- Rodney Watson—Superintendent, Spring Independent School District, Texas
- Carey Wright—State Superintendent of Education, Mississippi
About Chiefs for Change
Chiefs for Change is a nonprofit, bipartisan network of diverse state and district education chiefs dedicated to preparing all students for today’s world and tomorrow’s through deeply committed leadership. Chiefs for Change advocates for policies and practices that are making a difference today for students, and builds a pipeline of talented, diverse Future Chiefs ready to lead major school systems.
