The board is confident in Tommy’s abilities to stand on the shoulders of those who have stood before him and continue to advance the organization’s work to disrupt the predictability of educational inequities for systemically underserved students by accelerating educator effectiveness.

Dear Friends of NTC,

We are proud to announce today that the Board of Directors has selected Tommy Chang, EdD, as the next CEO of New Teacher Center!

This decision is the culmination of a months-long national search process in partnership with Offor, a leading executive search firm with a signature focus on equity and a track record of results of placing top leaders in organizations like The Bridgespan Group, Teach For America, UpTogether, Obama Foundation, and The Surge Institute.

The search included a talent and culture audit to surface critical assets and challenges the organization faces. We defined the search parameters and evaluative rubric using rich data to guide the selection process. A team of NTC staff was involved in the interview process, providing critical feedback for board consideration. The search was competitive, and the decision was not easy. The board is confident in Tommy’s abilities to stand on the shoulders of those who have stood before him and continue to advance the organization’s work to disrupt the predictability of educational inequities for systemically underserved students by accelerating educator effectiveness.

Tommy brings over 25 years of education experience and leadership to this role, including significant positions in schools, districts, and nonprofit organizations. His journey began with and continues to return to the life-changing moment he answered the call to become a teacher. Before his most recent position as acting CEO and President of Families In Schools, Tommy spent three years as a consultant and coach to school system leaders and advised organizations such as Great Public Schools Now LA, FourPoint Education Partners, and Whiteboard Advisors. He has served on several nonprofit boards such as Leading Educators and Silicon Schools Fund as well as Education Leaders of Color, an organization dedicated to elevating the leadership, voices, and influence of people of color in education to lead more inclusive efforts to improve education. From 2015-2018, he served as superintendent for Boston Public Schools during which time the district saw increases in student graduation rates and decreases in school dropout rates. He also supported the development and implementation of The Essentials for Instructional Equity, an innovative framework for teaching and learning aimed at closing opportunity and achievement gaps.

As a board, we are united in our enthusiasm for Tommy joining NTC. Here are a few words members of the Board of Directors wanted to share:

“Tommy’s personal and professional experiences center equity through collaboration with others, from the classroom to the systems level. He brings deep knowledge, practical leadership experiences and a life-long commitment to ensuring our students have the educational opportunities they deserve. We are delighted to welcome Tommy to NTC!”

— Magaly Lavadenz, Board Member and NTC Equity Commission Member

“Tommy Chang has a keen focus on instruction, a deep understanding that change will come when we build the capacity and the systems to support change, and an unwavering commitment to equity and serving students from historically marginalized communities. We are so excited to welcome Tommy to NTC.”

— Paul Goren, Board Member and CEO Selection Committee Co-Chair

“Tommy has long been a ‘students first’ educational leader, a philosophy that aligns with NTC’s core mission of honoring and centering each student as an individual. Tommy brings both an equity focus and results-oriented mindset. We are thrilled to have Tommy join the NTC family.”

— Kelly Pope, Board Vice Chair

Tommy’s story of coming to the U.S. from Taiwan at age six, and his introduction to public school, is painfully moving. Like millions of others today, he stood in the hallways of a system never designed for him. Despite that, it catalyzed him to enter and relentlessly pursue education transformation for communities that share stories similar to his own.

As we move into NTC’s next chapter, we do so with a clear strategy, strong finances, and organizational stability. We are incredibly thankful to our interim Co-CEO’s, Atyani Howard and Arthur Mills IV, for their steadfast leadership of the organization over the past seven months. As Tommy steps into his role as CEO in September, Atyani and Arthur will resume their previous leadership roles as Chief Program Officer and Chief Operating Officer, respectively.

I am confident that under Tommy’s leadership and working closely with Atyani and Arthur, NTC will continue to forge ahead on our aggressive equity-centered strategic plan and work to support educator effectiveness nationwide. Please join us in sharing a warm welcome!

Warmly,
Shruti Sehra
New Teacher Center Board Chair