Staff

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Jacklyn Altuna
Higher Education Policy and Research Analyst
Jacklyn comes to The Education Trust—West from Berkeley Policy Associates, where she spent three and a half years leading a variety of research studies and evaluations of programs on Adult ESL literacy, college preparatory programs, and teacher professional development.  Previously, she worked as an Institutional Researcher at Cambridge College in Cambridge, MA.  She holds a BA from University of California at Berkeley, and an Education Policy and Management Masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  While an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, Jacklyn worked as the Assistant Director of Retention for a student recruitment and retention center.  In that capacity, she developed strategies to improve retention among students of color and was involved in issues regarding UC admissions and recruitment processes.  Jacklyn was also a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship Recipient for advanced language study to the Philippines.

Heather Barondess
Data Systems Advocate and Campaign Manager, The Education Trust—West
Heather has a master's in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.  Previously, she was with EdSource for the last two years focusing on data systems, assessment, and charter schools.  She has completed projects for Mass Insight, Children Now, and the Bay Area Partnership.  Prior to graduate school, Heather worked for the Early Education for All Campaign in Massachusetts.  Heather has a bachelor's in child development from Tufts University and was a Fulbright Scholar, teaching English and conducting research in France.

Sonya Coles
Administrative Assistant, The Education Trust—West
Sonya came to the EdTrust—West after earning her bachelor’s degree from Westmont College in Liberal Studies.  She wants to eventually further her education and become an elementary school teacher in the San Francisco Area.

Dinah Consuegra
Senior Practice Associate, The Education Trust—West
Dinah has worked as an advocate and educational reform leader for historically disenfranchised students for 12 years. As the oldest and only daughter in her family and a first generation college graduate, Dinah Consuegra strives to empower other Latinas to thrive through adversity. She started her career in education as an English/Film teacher in Los Angeles Unified School District. There, she became involved in the creation of two of the most successful small learning communities at her site. She deeply believes in the capacity of all students to learn and has created innovative programs aimed at closing the achievement gap through the use of: technology, popular culture, and school wide reading/writing programs. Since then, she has served in various leadership capacities as a Dean of Students and Principal for comprehensive and charter high schools in Los Angeles serving Latino and African-American students. Additionally, she has created various notable mentorship programs for “at-risk” youth and provided support and coaching to teachers across various subject areas. Her areas of expertise are: data-driven professional development, professional learning communities, culturally responsive pedagogy, developing community networks to strengthen student support services and implementing UC/CSU ‘A-G’ College and Career Ready curriculum for all students. She graduated with honors in English and Comparative Literary Studies from Occidental College. She also holds master’s degrees from Claremont Graduate University in Teacher Education with an emphasis on English Instruction and Principal Leadership from the University of California, Los Angeles. She sits on the Board of Directors for Natural Home Cleaning Professionals, a non-profit that promotes a social mission to provide healthy, dignified work to low income immigrant women and on the Advisory Board to the Educational Leadership Department at California State University, East Bay.

Valerie Cuevas
Director of External Relations, The Education Trust—West
Valerie comes to Ed Trust—West with extensive experience in government affairs, non-profit management, K-12 and higher education administration at the national, state and local levels.  Over the course of her career, she has developed an expertise in education equity, state legislative policy and K-12 governance.  Prior to her current position, she was a director with the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), where she led governance training programs for thousands of elected officials across the country.  In addition to her work at the national level, Valerie has a wide-range of experience at both the state and local levels in California.  She previously served as an aide to the chair of the California Assembly Committee on Higher Education, and as chief of staff to a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.  As an education practitioner, Valerie also held student affairs positions at various 2- and 4-year colleges and universities.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a master's degree from California State University, Long Beach.

Carrie Hahnel
Director of Research and Policy, The Education Trust—West
Prior to joining ETW, Carrie worked for the KIPP Foundation, most recently as Director of Research and Evaluation.  Over the course of her five years at KIPP she was instrumental in promoting the use of data for strategic decision-making in KIPP’s 82 schools, launching a large-scale longitudinal study with Mathematica Policy Research, developing key school performance metrics, and managing all internal research and assessment efforts.  She previously worked in research and evaluation for Citizen Schools, an national afterschool provider headquartered in Boston, MA, and in program coordination and policy analysis for Americans for the Arts, an arts advocacy organization in Washington, DC.  She also participated in AmeriCorps VISTA, supporting afterschool, tutoring, and arts education programs in schools in Riverside, CA.  Carrie holds a B.A. from Carleton College and an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Tameka McGlawn
Senior Practice Associate, Linked Learning, The Education Trust—West
Tameka came to ETW from San Diego Unified.  Most recently, she was Dean of Students at Kearny High Construction Tech Academy (a Multiple Pathways demonstration site) and prior to that spent a few years as a counselor at Kearny HS School of International Business.  Additionally, Tameka has spent time as a counselor at Gompers Middle School and Harriet Tubman Village Charter School and has also done work as a facilitator  in the areas of results-based PD, pupil support services, building alliances through community outreach, and PLC’s.  Dr. McGlawn is a recent graduate from the University of Southern California with an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. 

Linda Murray
Superintendent-in-Residence, The Education Trust—West
Dr. Murray is currently serving as Superintendent in Residence for the Education Trust-West (ETW) and is responsible for helping lead the practice work of the organization in California.  The  work is centered around high school reform to ensure that all California graduates are college and work ready.  Prior to joining ETW, Dr. Murray served as Superintendent of Schools for the San Jose Unified School District for eleven years from 1993–2004.  In 1998, under her leadership, the district raised its graduation requirements to meet the UC/CSU entrance requirements, and since then the district has demonstrated major successes,  particularly for poor students and students of color.  In addition, in 2002, the district adopted, as part of its mission, creating a college going culture in all schools K-12.  Not only are San Jose students academically prepared, students and families are involved in programs and activities throughout elementary, middle and high schools that are designed to help them prepare for a college future.

Arun Ramanathan
Executive Director, The Education Trust—West  
Most recently Arun was chief student services officer for the San Diego Unified School District, with responsibility for eight departments and a budget of $350 million.  During his tenure, he reorganized and streamlined both student services and special education services while producing significant gains in student achievement and closing the achievement gap between disabled and non-disabled students.  Prior to this position, Arun served as special assistant to the superintendent for three superintendents.  He also served for two years as the executive director for government relations and advocated on behalf of San Diego Unified in Sacramento, San Diego, and Washington D.C.  Before coming to San Diego, Arun was the research director for the Office of the Independent Monitor in the Los Angeles Unified School District.  He has worked as a general and special education teacher and paraprofessional in New England and California and as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) in rural Appalachia.  Arun received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, his M.Ed. from Boston College, and his Ed.D. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Tracy Solomon
Director of Operations and Strategic Resources, The Education Trust—West
Tracy has been an independent education consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area for such clients as the Oakland Unified School District and the Marin Education Fund.  For nine years, Tracy was general manager and vice president of special projects for a graphic arts publisher.  She previously worked in operations, marketing, and strategic planning for a fast-growing specialty retailer.  Tracy holds an MBA from the University of California–Berkeley and a bachelor’s from Wesleyan University.

Lindsey Stuart
Data and Policy Analyst, The Education Trust—West 
Lindsey came to The Ed Trust—West from Austin, Texas, where she graduated from the University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs.  While a student, Lindsey interned at the Child Support Division of the Attorney General’s Office as well as the Texas Youth Commission, where she authored a report calling for the institutionalization of student councils in juvenile facilities throughout the state.  Prior to attending graduate school, she was a Teach for America high school Spanish teacher in Washington, D.C.  After her two year TFA commitment, she continued teaching Spanish at a Gates-funded small school in lower Manhattan.  Lindsey holds a BA from Wellesley College, and a Masters of Teaching degree from American University.