Board of Directors
Education Reform Now (ERN) is a nonpartisan 501-c-3 organization that envisions an America in which every child, regardless of class or race, has the social and economic opportunities afforded by an excellent public education. ERN is headquartered in Denver, CO and has branches in seven states. ERN engages in education-reform advocacy through coalition-building, policy analysis and public relations.
BOARD CHAIRJoel Klein- CEO of the Educational Division and Executive Vice President, Office of the Chairman, at News Corporation
In January 2011, Joel I. Klein became CEO of the Educational Division and Executive Vice President, Office of the Chairman, at News Corporation.
Prior to that, Mr. Klein was Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education where he oversaw a system of over 1,600 schools with 1.1 million students, 136,000 employees and a $22 billion budget. He launched Children First in 2002, a comprehensive reform strategy that has brought coherence and capacity to the system and resulted in significant increases in student performance.
He is a former Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, Inc., a media company, and served as Assistant U.S. Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice until September 2000, and was Deputy White House Counsel to President Clinton from 1993-1995. Mr. Klein entered the Clinton administration after 20 years of public and private legal work in Washington, D.C. He attended New York City's public schools and graduated from William Cullen Bryant High School.
He received his BA from Columbia University where he graduated magna cum laude in 1967, and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1971, also graduating magna cum laude. He has received honorary degrees from Columbia University, Duke University, Amherst College, Manhattanville College, Georgetown Law Center, Fordham Law School, New York Law School, and St. John's School of Education. He received the Lewis Rudin Award for Exemplary Service to New York City from New York University for his work as Chancellor.
DIRECTORS
Sidney Hawkins Gargiulo - Ziff Brothers Investments
Sidney has been active in the world of education reform for many years from her roots in Memphis to her current home in New York. She is passionate in her belief that education is the one issue that affects all others. In addition to her involvement with ERN, she serves on the boards of Success Charter Network's Bronx Success Academy II and New Leaders for New Schools New York. Sidney works in investment management as an Associate at Ziff Brothers Investments and began her career as an Analyst at Hawkshaw Capital Management. She holds an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wake Forest University.
John Petry - Columbus Hill Capital Management
John Petry is a partner at Columbus Hill Capital Management, a Short Hill, NJ based investment fund. He was a co-founder of the Success Charter Network, where he serves on its board, as well as the Harlem Success Academy Charter School. He is a co-founder and board member of Democrats for Education Reform as well as co-founder of Education Reform Now, where he previously served as Board Chair.
John Sabat - SAC Capital
John Sabat is a Portfolio Manager at SAC Capital. He is a founding board member of Harlem Success Academy 4, a high performing charter school within the the Success Charter Network. He holds a Master of Science in Statistics degree from New York University's Stern School of Business where he graduated summa cum laude. He earned his B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business where he graduated summa cum laude.
Brian Zied - Charter Bridge Capital
Brian Zied is the founder and CEO of Charter Bridge Capital, a New York based equity hedge fund. He was previously a Limited Partner at Maverick Capital. Brian is a board member of KIPP Infinity Charter School in upper Manhattan. He completed the Management & Technology program at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a BS in Economics from the Wharton School and a BAS from the Moore School of Engineering.
Staff
Senior Consultant - Van Schoales
Van Schoales is a Senior Consultant to Education Reform Now, a national education policy and advocacy non-profit organization fighting to dramatically improve the quality of public education for America's most disadvantaged children.
He was most recently a program officer at the Piton Foundation where he oversaw a portfolio of investments on state policy, district reform and new school development and before that the interim President of the Colorado Children's Campaign. He is now the Executive Director of A+ Denver. He has previously been a high school science teacher, principal and non-profit leader working as an education reform advocate. Van has launched or help start a number of non-profits including the Odyssey Charter School (founding principal) , Bay Area Coalition of Equitable (formerly Essential) Schools, Denver School of Science and Technology, A + Denver, EdNewsColorado and Get Smart Schools. Van has authored and edited a variety of papers on school choice, school accountability, student achievement, school design, state policy and other education reform topics. He's regularly quoted in education news stories and can be found in the Denver Post, NBC, National Public Radio, EdNewsColorado, Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, Education Week, Univision and Fox News.
Van has a B.S, Earth Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz, M.Sc.,Geological Sciences from Brown University, M.A. Educational Administration from San Francisco State University and M.A., Education from Stanford University. Van liked rocks, graduate school and took awhile to decide to work on behalf of kids. He has a magnificent daughter who plays beautiful music and is about to head off to college.
Finance Director - Beverly Francis
Beverly joined the staff of Education Reform Now (ERN) in the Fall of 2008. Her passion for advancement in public education derive both from being a product of the public education system, and being surrounded by a family of educators.
Prior to her work at ERN, Beverly worked in the news and entertainment industry. She credits her experience as a TV journalist for her growing involvement and awareness of domestic issues.
Beverly graduated from Florida International University in Miami, FL.
Operations Manager - Chapin Gregor
Chapin joined the Education Reform Now team in October 2010. He worked as Deputy Director of Canvass Operations in Brooklyn and Long Island before staying on in the New York main office. Chapin has a B.A. in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, where he presented the results of a university research project on South Side charter schools to Chicago city officials. Chapin's interest in education reform issues has only grown through volunteering with the Association to Benefit Children and through managing canvassers on New York City Mayor Bloomberg's reelection campaign. Now that he's working with ERN, he is proud to be able to advocate for meaningful change for our nation's education system.
