The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is pleased to announce the re-election of Bob Hughes to its Board of Trustees. He previously served on Carnegie’s board from 2013 to 2017.

“We are excited to welcome Bob Hughes back to our board of trustees,” says Lillian M. Lowery, Vice President of Student and Teacher Assessments at Educational Testing Services. “His experience fighting for equity in our schools, along with his keen insight into educational practice and policy, makes him a fitting addition to our board.”

Hughes is currently the Director of K–12 Education in the United States Program for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in which he works to ensure that all students are prepared for success in college and career. Previously he served as the President of New Visions for Public Schools—a New York City school network of 70 district schools serving approximately 45,000 students. He has also led or been involved in individual and class action litigation in special education and state school finance.

“Carnegie is at the forefront of equipping teachers with the tools, research, and innovative insights they need to address the historic inequities that continue to plague our system,” says Hughes. “Building on Tony Bryk’s legacy, Tim Knowles will lead this venerable organization into its next chapter. I’m thrilled to again be a part of this critical work.”

“I am very glad that Bob will be taking on this role, and I’m excited to work closely as we expand educational and career opportunities for African American, Latinx, and first-generation college students,” says Carnegie Foundation President Timothy Knowles. “He brings deep expertise, open-mindedness, and fierce dedication to issues of educational, racial, and economic justice. I am gratified that he is joining our board to advance our efforts.”

Hughes’s addition to the board is especially timely given the Foundation’s focus on using improvement science and networked improvement communities to advance educational equity. His work on dramatically improving high school graduation rates at New Visions for Public Schools and scaling improvement networks at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation epitomizes Carnegie’s commitment to integrating research and practice.