Since cofounding New Leaders for New Schools, Jon Schnur has led the development of the organization’s strategy, management team and board, core values, performance metrics, partnerships, and fundraising. He works with the organization’s team and community to accomplish its mission to drive high levels of learning and achievement for every student by attracting, preparing, and supporting the next generation of outstanding leaders for the nation’s urban schools.
From September 2008 to June 2009, Mr. Schnur took leave from New Leaders for New Schools to serve as an advisor to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign; a member of the presidential transition team; and a senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Before cofounding New Leaders for New Schools, Mr. Schnur served as special assistant to Secretary of Education Richard Riley; President Clinton’s White House associate director for educational policy; and senior advisor on education to Vice President Gore. He has developed national education policies from preschool to higher education—with special focus on teacher and educator quality, reforming urban school systems, charter schools, after-school programs, and early learning and preschools.
Mr. Schnur graduated from Princeton University with a BA in politics with honors, took course work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Harvard Business School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and graduated from a Wisconsin public high school.