WASHINGTON, DC—Emily McCann, chair of the Teach Plus Board of Directors, today announced that the board has named Lindsay Sobel, the organization’s Vice President of Policy and External Affairs, as Interim CEO. Sobel succeeds Roberto J. Rodríguez, who has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as Assistant Secretary of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at the U.S. Department of Education.
“The Teach Plus Board and leadership team are excited to work with Lindsay to continue the vital work of building an equitable education system for students and advancing the teacher leadership movement,” said McCann. “We look forward to Lindsay’s leadership as Teach Plus scales its impact by empowering teachers to advocate for effective policies and practices that impact our country’s most vulnerable students. We are confident that Lindsay, with her deep understanding of Teach Plus’ work and impact, will enable a seamless transition during this interim period.”
“It has been an extraordinary privilege to spend the last decade at Teach Plus working alongside excellent, equity-driven teachers who are dedicated to leading on behalf of their students,” said Sobel. “We need teachers’ expertise now more than ever, and it is an honor to lead Teach Plus as we ensure that teacher leaders shape the education system’s next chapter.”
Sobel brings to the role more than two decades of expertise building pathways for educational equity and a deep commitment to growing teacher leadership to drive change on behalf of low-income students and students of color. As Vice President of Policy and External Affairs, she grew Teach Plus’s policy and partnerships work at the federal level and deepened regional impact, expanding the organization’s work to 12 states. Sobel founded Teach Plus Texas in 2016 and served as its Senior Executive Director. She helped helm Teach Plus’s expansion to Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Michigan, and Arkansas. During her tenure with the organization, Sobel served as founding Director of the Teach Plus Network and Massachusetts Executive Director. In her new role, Sobel will build upon her success at Teach Plus, coordinating the organization’s management, impact, and growth and its Senior Leadership Team.
A search committee consisting of Board leadership and members of the Teach Plus team is working with the executive search firm Alma Advisory Group to identify the next President & CEO. The Alma Advisory Group, led by Monica Santana Rosen, is focused on equity and diversity in hiring and is dedicated to engaging stakeholders authentically throughout the search process.
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning, to create an education system driven by access and excellence for all. teachplus.org
