In Response to Governor Newsom’s Education Proposal Announcement, Brian Rivas, Senior Director of Policy and Government Relations, issued the Following Statement: Governor Newsom’s education proposal inspires […]
In Response to Governor Newsom’s Announcement of a School Reopening Deal with the Legislature, Dr. Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Executive Director of The Education Trust–West, Issued the […]
In Response to Governor Newsom’s Budget Proposal for 2021-2022, Dr. Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Executive Director of The Education Trust–West, Issued the Following Statement: Governor Newsom’s proposal […]
OAKLAND, Calif. — For too long, we have starved our public schools of the resources they need to support students. Schools lack the financial resources necessary […]
OAKLAND, Calif. — Prop 16 was an opportunity to take action against systemic racism and level the playing field for all students. It was intended to […]
When California passed its 2020-21 budget in June, The Education Trust—West (ETW) elevated the need for additional federal investments by October 15 to continue the progress California has made on college access and […]
Parents of K-12 public school students in California overwhelmingly support Proposition 15 (77%) and Proposition 16 (66%), according to a new poll from The Education Trust – West.
Statement from Dr. Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Executive Director of The Education Trust–West, on Governor Newsom’s Announcement that Most School Buildings will not Reopen at the Start […]
Dr. Elisha Smith Arrillaga issued the following statement on behalf of The Education Trust–West: The budget signed by Governor Newsom last night contains important and difficult […]
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.