ERN PRESIDENT SHAVAR JEFFRIES ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE
Board of Directors hiring firm to select a successor
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Sept. 12, 2022) – After seven years leading Education Reform Now (ERN), National President Shavar Jeffries has announced that he will leave the organization at the end of the year.
Jeffries is stepping way from ERN to transition as the CEO of KIPP Public Charter Schools. ERN’s Board of Directors is securing a search firm to select a successor for Jeffries.
“It has been my honor and pleasure to serve ERN. We have done extraordinary things for young people—from helping to pass over 100 pivotal pieces of legislation—including securing $2.8 billion in federal and state charter funding through state increases and the federal Charter School Program to ensuring accountability measures remain in the Every Student Succeeds Act,” said Jeffries.
“After many years leading this remarkable organization, I believe it is now the right time for me to pass the baton to a new leader—one who will bring a fresh perspective to the helm, and help ERN continue to carry out its mission to ensure that every child has access to a high quality public education,” added Jeffries.
Under Jeffries’ leadership, ERN tripled the size of its team, maintained budget surpluses for seven consecutive years, and grew its partnerships with education-reform, civil-rights, and education-advocacy partners.
Among many other things, ERN played a pivotal role during the pandemic, helping to persuade the federal government to set-aside $28 billion in recovery-act appropriations for evidence-based interventions, and in Washington, D.C., Louisiana, and Colorado, ERN was influential in pushing local legislatures to enact small-group tutoring programs, serving over 1 million students. ERN’s team also helped to persuade the federal government to invest more heavily in teacher-training programs at HBCUs to diversify the teaching force, and increase access and affordability in higher education, including working with legislators in Colorado to pass the first-in-the-nation ban on legacy admissions at public universities.
Giving truth to his commitment to empower leadership within communities of color, Jeffries implemented the first-of-its-kind Leaders of Color fellowship to recruit, elect, and elevate Black and Latino leaders who are committed to education reform. Since the program’s founding in 2018, 210 alumni have graduated from Leaders of Color, with 38 having run or currently running for office, and 78 serving in non-elected positions of influence.
“Shavar has brought tremendous vision and dedication to ERN to solidify our presence as a national player in the fight to create transformational opportunities for our nation’s historically underserved students,” said ERN COO Shakira Petit. “We have all benefited from his leadership, and wish him well as he brings his talents and vision to supporting a high quality education for the 175,000 students and alumni of KIPP.”
Upon his departure, Petit will serve as Interim President.
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