by Katie Ash
Education Week
July 25, 2013
The Washington-based Center for Education Reform, one of the most visible advocacy groups for charter schools and school choice, has announced that Kara Kerwin will become the next president of the group.
Jeanne Allen, the current president and founder of the organization, has led the Center for Education Reform for twenty years and announced in February that she would be stepping down at the end of October.
Kerwin has worked for the organization for 13 years and is currently the vice president of external affairs. She will take her new position on November 1.
In addition to Kerwin’s appointment, Alison Consoletti Zgainer will become the organization’s executive vice president—a newly created position—on November 1, as well. Zgainer has been with the Center for Education Reform since 2006 and currently serves as the vice president of research.
“Kara has been part of creating and promoting every major accomplishment of CER since she stepped through the doors of our building in 2000, and Alison has provided the research integral to those efforts,” said Jeanne Allen, in a statement announcing the change. “I know that they will take CER to even greater heights in the coming years, as they understand fully there is much work to do, and are very capable of making it happen.”
Allen will remain on the board of directors for the organization and will continue to support its work as a senior fellow. In a conference call with reporters in February when she announced her departure, she alluded to writing a book after she leaves her role as president of CER.