Press

Press Release: “Tressa Pankovits joins PPI’s RAS Project, Responds to Warren Anti-Charter Rhetoric”

11.04.2019

Tressa joins the team working to modernize our education system for the knowledge economy and an ever-changing world.

 

WASHINGTON— Tressa Pankovits joins the Progressive Policy Institute as the Associate Director of the Reinventing America’s Schools Project (RAS). With more than 10 years of experience in domestic and international education policy, management, and operations, Tressa joins RAS to expand its work around school choice and a modern public school system built for the knowledge economy.

Tressa served 10 years as the Chief Operating Officer for the Vallas Group, Inc., led by esteemed education and public finance expert Paul Vallas, managing large education reform projects in the U.S., Haiti, and Chile. She is the former Chief of Staff of the national education nonprofit AVID, which provides professional development to teachers to accelerate learning and close the achievement gap.

“PPI is delighted to welcome Tressa Pankovits to our school reform team,” said PPI President Will Marshall. “With a background in law, journalism and education reform advocacy, Tressa brings a wealth of talent to PPI’s mission of ensuring that every child in America has an equal opportunity to attend a high quality public school.”

Her political career included managing state and local campaigns, and she served as Communications Director for Illinois’ first female Lieutenant Governor. As a broadcast journalist for 13 years, she won several awards for impactful reporting on social issues, including a regional Emmy.

She joins the education team led by David Osborne, working to advance the 21st century model of public education America needs to thrive in the Information Age. Tressa will focus on research, writing, and related activities, to promote public school choice, autonomy, and accountability. Just last week, Tressa responded to Elizabeth Warren’s anti-charter rhetoric in a blog post for PPI.

 

You can contact Tressa at tpankovits@ppionline.org.