Dr. Ruiz de Velasco’s professional focus is on the study and promotion of change in public schools, the implications of education reform for disadvantaged students, education law and policy, and the effect of immigration on schools and communities. Prior to his appointment at the John W. Gardner Center, he served terms as a Senior Program Officer at the Ford, James Irvine and William & Flora Hewlett Foundations, and as a Senior Research Associate at The Urban Institute in Washington, DC. Prior to his academic career, he was a lawyer and policy analyst for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Current policy studies focus on the application of continuous learning and improvement practices to support effective public sector implementation and scale-up of expanded learning opportunities. This includes a research practice partnership with the Education Options Council of the Association of California School Administrators that examines the implementation of instructional reforms in alternative high schools for under-credited youth. Dr. Ruiz de Velasco is editor of a practitioner guidebook on Linked Learning integrated student supports for college and career readiness drawing on lessons from high school redesign efforts in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. As well, he is project director of the California Learning Collaborative on Alternative Education, a forum for education leaders of alternative high schools that serve credit-deficient, newcomer immigrant, and other youth vulnerable to dropping out of school.
Dr. Ruiz de Velasco serves on the governing boards of the Walace Foundation, the Internationals Network of Public Schools, and is Board Chair of California Education Partners. He also serves on the Education and Leadership Advisory Table of the Reaching at Promise Students Association.
