The Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation works as a trusted partner with state education leaders and organizations to create, resource, and implement solutions that result in a strong and valued public education system that serves every student in California. Key programs include the California STEAM Symposium, the California Labor Management Initiative, and the California Teacher Residency Lab. The Foundation also serves as the fiscal manager for philanthropic funding for the California Department of Education.The Foundation is anchored by a small professional staff, a highly engaged Board of Directors, and a complement of skilled and effective consultants. Since its inception in 2011, the Foundation has forged strong partnerships with the California Department of Education - its closest collaborator, state education associations, educational institutions, foundations, corporations, non-profits, and a network of individuals and education coalition members across the state who share a commitment to public education and California’s students.

Create CA advocates for high quality arts education for all students by providing policy expertise and by mobilizing a statewide network of advocates and allied partners.

The California Labor-Management Initiative (CA LMI) works to build collaborative relationships among teacher and classified employee unions, school boards, and school district management in county office of education, districts, and schools across the state. The CA LMI works to build knowledge and capacity to enable and expand strong collaborative relationships by working with state-level public education agencies, employee associations and local education leaders to build capacity to strengthen collaborative practices and processes in education systems.

The California Alliance for Arts Education promotes, supports, and advocates for visual and performing arts education in California public schools.

Ed’s work in the California State Senate focused on K-12 education policy, school-based health, community schools partnership strategies, and cross-agency collaboration.

Elected to three terms as a Board Member of the Pasadena Unified School District serving over 200,000 constituents in the communities of Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre. Elected twice as President of the Board of Education. Chaired the board facilities, budget and curriculum committees and the district commission on school choice. Twice chaired the Five Star Coalition, a collaborative of five local school districts serving over 70, 000 students in Burbank, Glendale, La Canada, Pasadena and South Pasadena.Elected three times as a member of the California School Boards Association delegate assembly and has served on the California School Boards Association legislative committee and annual conference committee.Ed has presented at both the California and National School Boards Association annual conferences on arts education and community school collaboration.