Contributor

Gregory McGinity, Senior Director of Policy, Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation

Gregory McGinity is senior director of policy for The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, a national venture philanthropy focused on dramatically improving K-12 urban public education through better governance, management, labor relations and competition. With extensive education policy experience at the federal, state and local levels, McGinity leads the foundation's investments in cutting-edge education policy research, development and implementation aimed at removing policy impediments that hinder student achievement. Under his leadership, the foundation partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the successful Strong American Schools campaign, a national public awareness and action campaign which challenged the presidential candidates to address the American education crisis. McGinity's areas of policy expertise include the No Child Left Behind Act, performance-based compensation systems for principals and teachers, competition and charter schools, mayoral control, teacher placement equity, national academic standards and expanded learning time. In 2005, on leave from the Foundation, McGinity served as chief of staff to the California Secretary of Education. Prior to joining The Broad Foundation, McGinity was the senior education policy consultant to the California State Board of Education, where he worked on the creation of California's academic content standards and assessment system. Previously, McGinity worked for U. S. Senator Thad Cochran as a legislative assistant and for U.S. Representative Lindsey O. Graham as legislative director. McGinity advised both members on education and training issues and served on the negotiating team for the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). McGinity also served as a legislative liaison at the U. S. Department of Education during President George H.W. Bush's administration. He was a senior fellow at the UCLA School of Public Affairs.