Peter Birdsall

Peter Birdsall is the CEO and legislative advocate at Education Advocates, a firm dedicated to supporting public education in California through coalition-based advocacy. He was formerly the executive director of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, where he led collaborative efforts to implement the Local Control Funding Formula. Birdsall has over 40 years of experience in state-level education policy, having served as executive director at School Innovations and Advocacy, president and legislative advocate at Peter Birdsall & Associates, and lead consultant to the Education Coalition. His career also includes roles as chief of the California Department of Education’s Legislative Office, chief of staff of the department’s education program branch, and K–12 education budget analyst with the California Department of Finance. Birdsall earned his BA and MA in economics, political science, and public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

updated 2025