Dr. Derek Mitchell has been the chief executive officer of Partners in School Innovation (Partners) since 2009. Before taking that position, he earned a Doctor in Philosophy in educational psychology from the University of California Los Angeles; served as the director of technology and student achievement for the Oakland Unified School District in California; supported district-wide reform across the country for the Stupski Foundation; and was the executive director of the Opportunity Zone in Prince George’s County in Maryland.

Under Derek’s leadership of Partners, the organization has adapted to a dynamic educational landscape and grown to address an expanding need for equity-centered school improvement. Partners has joined with national funders such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation to help educators build their capacity to serve some of the most challenged communities in the United States. Along the way, Derek has published reflections about Partners’ work in a variety of journals and blogs such as Phi Delta Kappan, EdSource, and Leadership magazine and serves on the board of trustees for Pitzer College, and the California Academy of Sciences, where he serves as secretary.