Abby Ridley-Kerr

Director of Policy & Research

Abby has worked in California education spaces for nearly a decade as a school provider, researcher, and advocate. She has a background in policy analysis, community-based research, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and a deep knowledge of the California education landscape. She has policy expertise in California’s data systems, teacher diversity and the teacher workforce, STEM education, college and career readiness, and the digital divide. Abby has led research efforts with The Education Trust–West and Innovate Public Schools that focused on improving outcomes for low-income students of color, English Learners, and students with disabilities across the state. 

Before those roles, she was in graduate school, where she worked with West Contra Costa Unified School District to engage parents and community members in LCAP and LCFF planning, drafted juvenile justice-related legislation with the Policy Advocacy Clinic at the law school, and taught courses in undergraduate economics. 

Prior to graduate school, Abby spent two years serving as an Americorps volunteer with City Year in San Jose. Abby earned her master’s degree in public policy from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy and her B.A. in Political Science with honors from Boston University.