Craig D. Jerald

Craig Jerald is director of policy for Strong American Schools, a nonpartisan public awareness and action campaign working to ensure that the nation engages in a rigorous debate and to make education a top priority in the 2008 presidential election. Previously, Mr. Jerald was president of Break the Curve Consulting and, prior to that, a principal partner at the Education Trust and a senior editor at Education Week from 1996 to 2000. At Education Week, Mr. Jerald founded the organization’s research division and helped create and oversee the annual reports Quality Counts and Technology Counts. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Education and began his career as a middle school teacher through Teach for America in California’s Long Beach Unified School District. Craig Jerald is president of Break the Curve Consulting, which provides expertise to leaders and policymakers on issues related to education policy, communications, research, and practice. Since founding Break the Curve in 2004, Craig has worked with organizations such as the Center for American Progress, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Governors Association, the National School Boards Association, the Education Trust, Achieve Inc., Education Sector, the Learning First Alliance, ACT, and the Alliance for Excellent Education. Prior to founding Break the Curve, Craig served as a principal partner at the Education Trust, where he worked on issues ranging from school accountability to teacher quality and school finance equity. As a senior editor at Education Week from 1996 to 2000, Craig founded and managed the organization’s research division and helped create and direct Education Week’s special annual reports series, Quality Counts and Technology Counts. Craig also has worked at the U.S. Department of Education, and he began his career as a Teach for America recruit and middle school teacher in California’s Long Beach Unified School District.