Press Releases

Leadership Public Schools Names New CEO

San Francisco, CA – January 30, 2008 – Leadership Public Schools (LPS), a not-for-profit network of charter high schools in California, announced its selection as CEO of Dr. Louise Bay Waters, a former official in the Oakland Unified School District. LPS’s Board of Trustees ratified Dr. Waters’ selection on January 16, 2008 after the organization conducted a nation-wide search. She will begin her tenure as CEO in March 2008, succeeding CEO and founder of LPS, Mark Kushner. LPS operates high schools in Richmond, East San Jose, Oakland, Hayward, and Campbell, California.

Scott Pearson, Chair of the Board of Trustees of LPS, stated: “The Board of Trustees of Leadership Public Schools applauds Louise Waters’ record of accomplishment as an educational leader in the kind of demanding urban environments that LPS operates in. We are confident that Dr. Waters will expertly and compassionately guide LPS as it transitions from a rapid-growth, start-up phase to an era of sustainability and leadership in urban high school education.”

Dr. Waters currently serves as Director of Knowledge, Learning & Results at the Stupski Foundation, an educational reform organization, where she headed research on school districts that have accelerated the performance of students of color and poverty. From 2000 – 2004, Dr. Waters served as Associate Superintendent for Student Achievement with the Oakland Unified School District where she led the instructional reforms that resulted in district achievement gains that out-paced the state of California. She received her BA and MA from Stanford University, her teaching credential from University of California at Berkeley, and her doctorate from the Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Waters stated: “I am honored to become part of the LPS family, dedicated to LPS’s vision and challenged by our life-changing imperative: creating outstanding high schools where all students, regardless of background or neighborhood, receive an excellent education that prepares them to succeed in college and improve their community. I have found LPS schools to be warm, safe, and stimulating educational communities that are building tomorrows leaders. I am excited to be able to work with parents, teachers, staff, and communities so that each and every student graduates with the kind of education that can make that dream of leadership real.”

Current CEO Mark Kushner has graciously agreed to serve in his Founder role through June to aid in a smooth transition, and to join the LPS Board after that date. Mr. Kushner stated: “It is a great pleasure to hand over the reins of this budding organization to such a capable and experienced educational leader. We are very proud of what we have achieved to date as a quality education provider in low income communities around the Bay Area, and I look forward to seeing great things in the future with Dr. Waters at the helm.”

###

About Leadership Public Schools

Leadership Public Schools (LPS) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2002 to serve diverse students throughout California with a network of outstanding charter high schools. LPS's vision is that all students - regardless of background, ethnicity, or neighborhood - receive an excellent education that prepares them to succeed in college and improve their community. LPS currently operates schools in Richmond, East San Jose, Oakland, Hayward, and Campbell, California. Please visit the website of Leadership Public Schools at www.leadps.org.

Contact:

Jonathan Faustine
COO, Leadership Public Schools
415-871-3620
jfaustine@leadps.org

Richard Cohn
415-497-9660
richardcohn@earthlink.net