Ilene Straus

Ilene Straus brings extensive experience to the Education Leadership Program leading school and district improvement that significantly improved student opportunity and achievement, as well as state policy experience as the vice president of the California State Board of Education, where she served for eleven years. Her State policy experience in accountability, curriculum and instruction standards and materials, State and National commissions and current work with State systemic support continues to link theory to practice, with the understanding of current challenges of school and district system improvement linked to leadership.

Straus has led schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and educational services as the assistant superintendent, resulting in national distinction as the Disney School of the Year, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, a California Distinguished School, one of the country’s top performing high schools, the California Secondary Principal of the Year and the YWCA Woman of the Year Award. In addition to graduate teaching and state systems support and leadership, she works with site and district leaders supporting a coherent systemic focus on instruction and school and district practices to improve student achievement.