Sharon Lynn Kagan

Sharon Lynn Kagan is the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy and co-director of the National Center for Children and Families at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also an adjunct professor at Yale University’s Child Study Center. A leading scholar in early childhood education policy, Kagan has worked to improve the design and quality of early childhood systems globally, consulting with 90 national governments across Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. She has authored over 300 publications, including 14 books, and served on more than 30 national boards and panels. Her career includes roles as a Head Start teacher, public school administrator, director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Early Childhood Education, and senior advisor to the U.S. Senate. She is a past president of both the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Family Support America and has held leadership positions with the National Academy of Sciences, the Education Commission of the States, and multiple presidential administrations. A fellow of the American Educational Research Association and a member of the National Academy of Education, she has received multiple honorary doctorates and is the only woman in U.S. education history to receive its three most prestigious awards: the Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Chief State School Officers, the James Bryant Conant Award from the Education Commission of the States, and the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. Kagan earned her EdD in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University.

updated 2025