Joel Vargas

Joel Vargas
Joel Vargas
Vice President of Programs,
Jobs for the Future

Joel Vargas is vice president of programs at Jobs for the Future (JFF), where he oversees initiatives focused on improving learning systems and outcomes, advancing research and analytics, and fostering inclusive regional economic development. At JFF, Vargas helps policymakers and intermediary organizations develop state and federal policies that integrate college and career experiences into high school. He has designed and implemented research and state policy agendas for early college designs, created policy frameworks and model legislation, and provided technical assistance to state task forces and policy working groups. He is also president of the board at EdSource. Vargas earned his MA in education from the Harvard University.

updated 2025

 

Contributing topics
College access & postsecondary success
Continuous school improvement & support
Education finance
Educational governance & policy
Supporting students’ social-emotional, mental & physical health
Contributing initiatives
COVID-19 Recovery
Joel Vargas in the Media
: Reactions to the Governor’s K–12 Education Budget Proposals for California
: The Right Priorities? Reactions to Gov. Newsom’s K–12 Budget Proposal
: What Did He Get Right? Reactions to Governor Newsom's K–12 Budget
Publications by Joel Vargas
Empowering the Intersegmental Agenda
Opportunities for Research, Policy, and Practice
This brief discusses the challenges of fragmented and misaligned public education and proposes intersegmental collaborations as a solution. Effective collaboration between high school and college, between higher education systems, and between…