Dear Friends,

It is with a mix of sadness and pleasure that I write to tell you that our Executive Director, Cate Swinburn, will be leaving the Education Fund to support DC public school students in a new way.  She has agreed to take on a new challenge as Chief of the Office of Data & Accountability for DC Public Schools. This office is critical to our work with the school system, as it manages the data and systems that measure progress of the reforms and enable us to hold DCPS accountable for continued growth.

We know Cate will continue to be a great partner to the Education Fund through her work in this new role, but we will miss the passion and drive she brings to our organization. Cate has steered the Education Fund from start-up phase to an established, effective, and well-respected partner in transforming our public school system. The list of the organization’s accomplishments under her leadership is long and impressive. She will be missed, but we are excited about the new possibilities that lie ahead.

Through the Board and Cate’s leadership, and after discussions with Chancellor Kaya Henderson, we have worked to ensure the Education Fund doesn’t miss a beat through this transition. We have built the Education Fund to be a long-term and enduring partner for reform in our city, and are confident that this transition will be seamless.  Toward that end, the Board of Directors has already appointed a search committee to find a successor, and we have posted the job description on our website. If you have candidate ideas or suggestions, please help us find a great successor.

Cate will continue to lead the Education Fund, bolstered by the continued hard work of her talented leadership team, Callie Carroll, Kevin Hinton and Kara Honeycutt. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Cate or me.

We look forward to the work ahead, and appreciate your continued dedication and support of our mission to advance excellence in DCPS through private philanthropy. We could not accomplish this critical work without each of you.

Regards,

Mark D. Ein

Chairman of the Board