Rob is currently Senior Advisor to the CEO at the New Teacher Center, a leading national nonprofit dedicated to improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of new teachers and school leaders. Previously, he served as the Executive Director of Level Playing Field Institute. Before joining LPFI, Rob spent three years as Chief Academic Officer for Inner City Education Foundation Public Schools in South Los Angeles, leading the strategic expansion of the academic program from three schools with 500 students to 15 schools with almost 4,000 students. As instructional leader, Robert facilitated the curricular design of the charter organization’s rigorous academic program with the goal to prepare students to attend and compete academically at top colleges. Robert was the founding principal at ICEF’s flagship high school, where the first three classes achieved a 100% graduation rate with 97% accepted to four-year universities. As a 1994 Teach for America corps member, Robert spent seven years at his placement site in East Los Angeles. He was twice named teacher of the year. Robert graduated cum laude from Binghamton University with a double major in Biology and Classical Languages, and earned his MA in Urban Education Policy Planning and Administration and Ed.D. in Urban Educational Leadership from the Rossier School of Education at USC. In 2009, Robert was named to the African American Achievement Commission by the California State Board of Education.