08/05/2021

Voices from California Higher Education: Recommendations for Centering Equity Amidst Campus Re-Openings

The California legislature is sending public colleges and universities some of the greatest levels of one-time spending in recent history. Based on insights from college and […]
06/29/2021

Bright Spot from the Field – Identifying and Supporting Student Parents at Fresno State

California State University, Fresno is the largest state university in the Central Valley, serving over 25,000 students primarily from the surrounding counties. An estimated 20 percent […]
05/01/2021

Affecting Transformative Change: Questions for Families and Other Advocates to Ask Their District Leaders

The current circumstances of the pandemic, the return to classrooms, and the infusion of stimulus funding provide education system leaders a chance to rebuild and reimagine […]
03/10/2021

Education Equity in Crisis: How to Address Learning, Promotions, Transitions and Grades in Light of School and College Closures

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented education equity crisis in California. A year ago, education leaders at schools and colleges across the state closed their […]
11/17/2020

Seen, Heard, Reflected: Building and Sustaining a Diverse STEM Teacher Pipeline

By 2022, California will have the largest share of the STEM workforce and jobs across the country. This leading tech workforce, however, is far from representative of the state’s diverse population - only 5% of the tech industry workforce is Latinx and just 2% of the workforce is Black.
10/28/2020

Californians Deserve Credit: Recognizing All Learning to Help California Achieve Educational and Racial Equity

Imagine you are a 39-year-old single parent and early childhood educator of 20 years. One day, you learn that you lack the proper credentials. Even though […]

Karla Fernandez

Communications Manager

Karla Fernandez (she/her/hers) joins Ed Trust–West as a Communications Manager with over 11 years of experience advancing social impact initiatives.

Karla started her career as a teacher at Chicago Public Schools and UIC College Prep. After teaching, Karla joined United Friends of the Children to support LA County’s youth in foster care as a college counselor. Through Leadership for Educational Equity, Karla also served as a Policy Advisor Fellow for the office of a Los Angeles Unified School Board Member. She solidified her interests in policy analysis and quantitative research during her time with the Price Center for Social Innovation, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and the USC Presidential Working Group on Sustainability. Before joining The Education Trust–West, Karla was the Associate Director for the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative, a network of nonprofits advocating for communities in SELA.

Karla holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, a Master of Public Policy from the USC Price School of Public Policy, and a Graduate Certificate in Policy Advocacy from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Karla is based out of southern California and is passionate about using data analysis, communications, and digital strategies for policy advocacy and social justice efforts.