Advisors

Jorge A. Aguilar is the superintendent of Wonderful College Prep Academy. He was previously superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), with responsibility for over forty thousand students and seventy-five schools, and was associate superintendent in the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD), as well as associate vice chancellor for educational and community partnerships and special assistant to the chancellor at the University of California, Merced. Aguilar further serves as a commissioner on the...

Carl A. Cohn is a senior research fellow and professor emeritus in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University, and an advisor to Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). He was formerly the director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), a state agency established by California Governor Jerry Brown and the State Legislature to assist and advise school districts on academic performance. Cohn previously led the San Diego Unified School District...

Glen Harvey is a distinguished leader in education, having served as chief executive officer (CEO) of WestEd for more than a quarter century, where she transformed the organization into a mission-driven, quality- and impact-focused agency until 2023. She currently advises Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). Under her leadership, WestEd emphasized conducting the highest quality research-based work to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. Harvey pioneered a cross-disciplinary approach...

Michael W. Kirst is professor emeritus of education and business administration at Stanford University as well as co-founder and current advisor to Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). He has been the chief education advisor to former California Governor Jerry Brown, who four times appointed Kirst president of the California State Board of Education. In this position, Kirst was instrumental in reshaping education policy and finance in California, overseeing the new academic standards and assessments...

Ted Lempert is the president of Children Now, where he has overseen numerous policy victories for children, including school equity finance reform, expanded health coverage for undocumented children, and significant changes to the child welfare system. He also serves as an advisor to Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). He led the development of Children Now’s whole child, power-building model and founded The Children’s Movement of California, an advocacy network aimed at removing barriers for...