Kate Ford

Kate Ford, Area Superintendent of Aspire Public Schools, currently leads the “College for Certain” instructional programs and management of eleven schools in the Los Angeles areas of Huntington Park, South Los Angeles, and South Gate. Previously, Kate was a Senior Program Officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, managing education grants to charter management organizations and to the state departments of education of California, Tennessee, and New Mexico.

Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Kate was the Executive Director/Principal of Peabody Charter School in Santa Barbara. She spent twenty years as a Director/Principal in public, charter, and private elementary and secondary schools in Lodi, San Jose, and Phoenix; and she was a middle and high school English and drama teacher for fifteen years before that. In the late 90’s, Kate was Regional Vice President for Advantage Charter Schools, where she oversaw the management and educational programs of several schools located in Texas and Arizona.

Kate has received two Educator of the Year awards, and she holds a Masters in Educational Leadership from Chapman College, her Clear Administrative Credential from Santa Clara University, and a BA in sociology from UC Santa Cruz.