Dr. Kerri Briggs is the Executive Director of Educate Texas, an initiative of the Communities Foundation of Texas. She leads the organization’s efforts to help solve some of the biggest challenges in public education.
Her extensive education career spans a variety of roles in nonprofits, school systems, companies, and government, including serving as the Chief of Staff in Texas’ Houston I.S.D., and as the State Superintendent of Education for Washington D.C. Kerri spent nearly eight years serving in the U.S. Department of Education, with roles in the Office of the Deputy Secretary, followed by the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, before ultimately being appointed the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education by President George W. Bush. She was later the founding Director of Education Reform at the George W. Bush Institute.
Kerri’s work in the private sector also centered K-12 education. She was previously a partner at Cicero Group, where she helped to measure, evaluate, and implement strategies that realize change. She was also previously an Education Program and Policy Officer for ExxonMobil, where she managed the education grantmaking portfolio and provided counsel on issues related to federal policy, state standards, and teacher quality.
A 2019 Pahara Fellow, Kerri holds advanced degrees from the University of Southern California, including a Ph.D. in Education Policy and a master’s degree in public policy. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Stephen F. Austin State University.
