The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is pleased to announce the election of Diane Tavenner as Chair of its Board of Trustees. An educator, innovator, and author, she joined the Carnegie Board in 2016.

“Carnegie has had a remarkable impact on schooling over the last 120 years,” says Tavenner. “It has set the course, looked around the corner, and stayed steadfastly focused on improving teaching and learning across the United States and the globe. It is a tremendous honor to serve as Chair and a privilege to support my fellow Trustees, the Foundation staff, and our partners in the pursuit of educational, economic, and racial justice.”

Tavenner is the co-founder and CEO of Summit Public Schools, a network of 11 public schools in California and Washington, and Summit Learning—a free online standards-aligned curriculum that powers project-based, personalized learning and is used by nearly 400 schools nationwide. Under her leadership, the Summit work has grown through collaboration with innovators across industries, such as learning scientists and researchers, universities, technology companies, teacher preparation programs, foundations, and community organizations. Prior to founding Summit, Tavenner spent 10 years as a public school teacher, administrator, and leader in traditional urban and suburban public schools throughout California.

“We are extraordinarily privileged that Diane has agreed to serve as Chair of the Board,” says Carnegie President Timothy Knowles. “She is a visionary leader, one of the nation’s most ambitious educational entrepreneurs, and has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of young people. Personally, I couldn’t be more thrilled to have a person so committed to equity and excellence at our helm.”

Tavenner replaces Lillian M. Lowery as Board Chair. Lowery—Vice President of Student and Teacher Assessments at Educational Testing Services—was first elected to the Carnegie Board of Trustees in 2014.