10/05/2018

Equity Alert: From Good to Great – How to Maximize Equity in California’s Statewide Free College Program

A “free college” movement is sweeping the nation and taking hold in California. Adopted last year and funded this year, the California College Promise program gives […]
12/22/2017

Equity Alert: California Identifies School Districts Needing Assistance Based on New Dashboard

The California Department of Education has released the new California School Dashboard, replacing the field test version from earlier this year. The web-based dashboard includes new, […]
06/27/2017

Equity Alert: The 5 Things We Were Looking for in California’s ESSA State Plan – How did the State do?

California’s draft Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan is now open for public comment. The plan details how California will adhere to the requirements of the […]
04/13/2016

Puzzling Plans and Budgets: Making Sense of California’s Second Year Local Control and Accountability Plans

Three years after the California Legislature invested nearly $13 billion into schools through the Local Control Funding Formula, it’s still unclear where those dollars are going. […]

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.