Strategy for K-12 Education Systems Change Empowered by New Leadership at the Aurora Institute

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 19, 2020—The Aurora Institute (@Aurora_Inst) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new board members and two new senior staff leaders. The new organizational leaders will play a key role in supporting Aurora’s deepening and expanding role in transforming K-12 education.

Tony Monfiletto, executive director of Future Focused Education, and Jackie Statum Allen, education portfolio director of the Bush Foundation, have joined the Aurora board of directors for a four-year term. Both long-time partners of the organization, Monfiletto and Statum Allen join a growing board, now chaired by Virgel Hammonds, chief learning officer at KnowledgeWorks.

Monfiletto has been a leader in establishing the context for a network of schools in his home town of Albuquerque, NM, and a broader vision for schools to be the catalyst for creating healthier and more prosperous communities. In 2008, Tony began working on ACE Leadership High School, the first in a network of the next generation of career-focused schools designed to serve students who are off-track to graduation or are no longer attending school.  There are now four schools in the Leadership Schools Network, all committed to providing “the best education for the students who need it the most.”

Statum Allen manages the Bush Foundation’s strategy to make education more relevant for students in terms of who they are, how they learn, and where they want to go. She spent more than 10 years working in public school district administration, including the St. Paul and Chicago public school systems.

“Tony and Jackie are stellar additions to our board of directors,” said Aurora Institute President and CEO Susan Patrick. “They bring strategic insights to our work in accelerating breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. They complement our current trustees’ skills and experiences, and we look forward to their expert engagement and counsel.”

On staff, Dr. Loretta Goodwin has joined Aurora as its new chief operations officer. Fred Jones has joined as policy director. Goodwin will lead the Aurora Institute staff; direct talent management and diversity, equity, and inclusion; and support the crafting of a new, long-range strategic plan. Most recently, Goodwin was deputy director at the American Youth Policy Forum, focused on promoting equitable education for all young people by providing professional learning opportunities to policymakers. She holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University.

“I have long admired the work at Aurora and am excited and eager to contribute to the organization’s transformative vision for the equitable education of young people,” said Goodwin. “My own educational journey has witnessed multiple moments of transformation. I remain devoted to providing each and every student with high-quality, innovative learning environments by working collaboratively with the Aurora Institute’s staff, the CEO, and the Board of Directors.”

As policy director, Jones will lead the Aurora  Center for Policy, which conducts policy analysis and offers recommendations, provides targeted technical assistance to and builds strong relationships with elected officials and education policy leaders. He will also develop advocacy strategies in different key states and publish a variety of materials to advance thought leadership in the field on key issues. Jones previously served as director of government affairs and public policy for the Southern Education Foundation. He holds degrees from Tufts University and the University of Maryland.

“I am excited to build on the success of the Aurora Institute and advance transformational policies that are anchored in equity,” said Jones. “There is no better time in our nation’s history to rethink, change, and improve the delivery of education to students who have historically been underserved.”

About Aurora Institute

Aurora’s mission is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora is shaping the future of teaching and learning for more than 14 million students through its work in policy advocacy, research, and field-building/convening. We work on systems change in K-12 education, promote best practices, examine policy barriers, and make recommendations for change. Aurora has a national and global view of education innovation and lifts up promising policies and practices that yield improved outcomes for students. Aurora envisions a world where all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities, and advance society.