Staff
Benjamin Cottingham
Benjamin serves as a District Improvement Specialist where he partners with district teams to design and implement systems that strengthen teaching and learning in Pre-K-3rd grade mathematics and building coherence between 8th and 9th grade. Through this collaborative work, he helps districts develop systems that improve teaching and learning that are coherent with existing county […]
Mike Roberts
Mike serves as Program Manager with the 8th & 9th Grade On Track collaboration where he supports initiatives that promote early interventions, equitable grading, and strong transitions to ensure all students meet A-G requirements for college readiness. He is committed to transforming educational systems and fostering success for every student. Over his 20 years in […]
Rebecca Goldman
Rebecca serves as the Event Coordinator at Ed Partners, supporting the planning, logistics, and execution of all events to create memorable experiences and foster meaningful connections. With over four years of experience in the nonprofit and education sectors, Rebecca previously taught preschool in an English-Mandarin classroom and most recently was the Senior Marketing Coordinator at […]
Gentle Blythe
Gentle Blythe serves as the Director of Communications and Development at California Education Partners where she leads communications and sustainability strategies. Gentle has held leadership roles in schools, districts and nonprofit organizations for over 30 years. As an education and communications professional, most recently her work has focused on organizational development, strategic communications, external relations, […]
Emily Vincent
Emily serves as the Events and Operations Supervisor where she leads the planning, executing, and evaluating of all events facilitated by Ed Partners. She also collaborates with Ed Partners’ program and communications teams to support our outreach and branding efforts. Prior to joining Ed Partners, Emily served as Senior Program Manager at the Aspen Economic Strategy Group, a […]
Jarrett Poston
Jarrett serves as an 8th & 9th Grade On Track Program Manager where he guides district level leadership to develop systematic approaches to support students catching up and staying on track to High School and College graduation. He coaches educators to achieve successful change in and across complex systems. Throughout his career Jarrett has developed […]
Deborah Stipek
Deborah serves as a consultant, offering support to districts especially on issues related to early math instruction. As the chair of the Heising-Simons Development and Research on Early Math Education Network (DREME), she is brings resources from across the nation to help districts create coherent and effective math instruction. Deborah’s doctorate is from Yale University […]
Diana Mercado-Garcia
Diana is the Associate Director of Research Practice Partnerships (RPP) at California Education Partners. In this role, she leads the Stanford-Sequoia K-12 Research Collaborative, a partnership between Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education and nine school districts in San Mateo County. The Collaborative aims to produce and use research that supports the long-term success of […]
Javier Garcia
Javier serves as Program Manager with the 8th & 9th Grade On Track collaboration, supporting districts in ensuring students remain on track for college admission and post-secondary success. Javier has worked in public education for over twenty years, working as a middle school mathematics teacher, as a mathematics staff development and curriculum specialist supporting district […]
Steven Kellner
Steve serves as the Director of District Leadership and State Policy where he develops and delivers a clear external communications strategy that supports the recruitment of districts and funders while informing other external stakeholders about the organization’s work. Additionally, he works directly with superintendents to provide coaching, support and coherence. Over his 25 years in […]