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Equal Opportunity Schools Names Byron V. Garrett New CEO

Seattle, WA., November 18, 2019 — The Board of Directors at Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) is pleased to announce the hire of Byron V. Garrett as the new Chief Executive Officer effective immediately.

Dr. Deborah Wilds, EOS Board President, said “We could not be more thrilled to have found someone of Byron’s caliber to lead EOS. His voice, vision, and experience make him a unique leader. We are confident that he will successfully propel EOS into the future. In Byron, we have found the ideal leader to serve our amazing partners and build the national dialogue around equity in schools.”

Founded in 2010, EOS has worked in over 600 schools in 30 states. These partnerships have improved the accessibility of advanced learning classes to over 38,000 students of color and low-income students. EOS provides the coaching, data analytics and student identification tools necessary to ensure equity happens for students of color and low-income students – many of whom are missing from the challenging college prep opportunities they deserve.

“EOS has built one of the most dynamic networks of school and district partners in the country. We are proud of the work we have done. We believe in our staff and know our mission is timely and urgent. Byron joins EOS at an exciting time and we can’t wait to support him in the continued improvement and evolution of our work,” said Dr. Wilds.

A longstanding national leader in education, Byron most recently served as CEO of the National Family Engagement Alliance. The former education advisor, federal program leader, and K-8 school principal had this to say about the opportunity, “I am honored to join the amazing team at EOS as we build upon the incredible successes over the past decade. The work of racial equity and social justice in education is key to ensuring students of color and low-income students have access to the appropriate coursework to prepare them for success,” said Garrett.

Byron replaces Reid Saaris, EOS Founder and former CEO who stepped down in February, 2019. “EOS wouldn’t be where we are today without Reid’s vision. We are thankful for his work in service of equity and access,” said Dr. Wilds. The Board is also grateful for the leadership provided by Deb Merle who served as the interim CEO for the past ten months of 2019.

The Board of Directors warmly invites current and former partners to join them in Atlanta, March 2-3, 2020, as EOS celebrates their 10-year anniversary at the Equity and Excellence Symposium. During this special event there will be an opportunity to meet Byron and other members of the EOS team. To register, or for more information, please visit: https://eoschools.org/news/events/

Equal Opportunity Schools’ mission is to ensure that students of color and low-income students have equitable access to America’s most academically intense high school programs and succeed at the highest levels.

For more information, contact: Dr. Sasha Rabkin | Chief Strategy Officer | 206-853-7274

Byron V. Garrett Named CEO Byron V. Garrett: Bio Read Additional EOS News

Equal Opportunity Schools brings equity to AP and IB.

We collaborate with school districts to increase equitable enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, so more students can excel.

Our partnership model is consultative, collaborative, and requires a commitment to specific and measurable results. Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) has helped more than 540 schools identify low-income students and students of color who qualify for, but are missing from AP or IB classes. Working together, we successfully enroll them and support their academic success.

EOS is headquarters in Seattle, Washington and continues to hire professionals to support our growing portfolio of partner districts.

To learn more contact us today or email us with questions.

Three-quarters of a million high school students are ready to be enrolled.

Each year, approximately three-quarters of a million incoming juniors and seniors are ready to be enrolled in rigorous academic programs. Unfortunately, students of color and low-income students are not being engaged at the same rate as their peers. We help schools get them enrolled and ensure their success.

Access to AP/IB has a lasting impact.

Increasing the number of low-income students and students of color who enroll in rigorous classes leads to more of those students graduating and attending college. This is one of most resource-effective strategies for tackling the classroom equity gap.

high school student

That’s why we’re here.

Equal Opportunity Schools has worked with schools coast-to-coast to help more than 36,000 (and counting) students of color and low-income students—among active partners—succeed in rigorous academic programs.

Let’s close the AP/IB gap together.

“My AP class has prepared me so much for the future. I used to be scared having to grow up and the thought of college work would be so difficult.

I had thought that AP classes were mostly for “smart people”, now I know it isn’t about being smart, it is about putting in the time and effort into the difficult things.” Underrepresented AP Student