The Chicago Public Education Fund

The Chicago Public Education Fund's board of directors selected Tim Knowles, an influential expert on Chicago and national education reform, as its newest member last week.

“Tim brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience in school reform, especially in the city where he has worked closely with the mayor to shape the new direction of Chicago Public Schools,” said Brian Simmons, chairman of The Chicago Public Education Fund. “We expect he will play a pivotal role in our continued partnership with CPS around our shared priorities.”

Knowles is the John Dewey director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute (UEI) and serves as a clinical professor on the Committee on Education at the University of Chicago.

Knowles said he is honored to join the board of The Chicago Public Education Fund, a private venture capital fund founded in 2000 and dedicated to transforming public education in Chicago. “The promise -- to improve the quality of teaching, learning and leadership with the Chicago Public Schools -- is unparalleled,” he said.

Prior to coming to Chicago, Knowles served as deputy superintendent for Teaching and Learning at the Boston Public Schools. While in Boston he created two organizations devoted to building the pipeline of high quality teachers and school leaders for Boston Public Schools and served as co-director of the Boston Annenberg Challenge, a nationally recognized effort to improve literacy instruction. He founded and directed a full-service K-8 school in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York City. He also served as the founding director of Teach for America in New York City, and a teacher of African History in Botswana.

He has written and spoken extensively on the topics of school leadership, teacher quality, school reform, and accountability in public schools. He received his B.A. in anthropology and African history from Oberlin College and an M.A. and doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

“Tim’s talent will boost The Fund’s greatest asset – our board of directors – even further,” said Jason Cascarino, The Fund’s chief operating officer. “He’s a terrific addition to a tight group of individuals with a strong civic conviction to commit money, influence and thought to improve outcomes for Chicago students.”