Peter Cunningham

Peter Cunningham is the founder of Education Post and serves on its board. He served as Assistant Secretary for communications and outreach in the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama administration’s first term. Prior to that he worked with Arne Duncan when he was CEO of the Chicago Public Schools. Peter is affiliated with Whiteboard Advisors, a DC-based education policy, research and communications firm. He serves on several non-profit boards, including Oakland-based Great Schools, which provides school quality information to parents through a national online platform, The Montessori School of Englewood, a Chicago public charter school, Manufacturing Renaissance, a career education program that trains public high school students for jobs in manufacturing, Unbounded, an organization supporting teachers in schools that are transitioning to higher standards, and Foolproofme.com, which is focused on financial literacy for students. Peter founded Cunningham Communications, serving public, private and nonprofit clients, worked for political consultant David Axelrod, and was a senior advisor and speechwriter for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. A native New Yorker, Peter began his career as a journalist with small weekly newspapers in New York. He earned an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University and a B.A. in philosophy from Duke University. He is married to artist Jackie Kazarian, and they have two adult children who are proud graduates of the Chicago Public Schools. Peter joined the Education Post board in 2018 after stepping down as the organization's Executive Director. Meet our board →

Posts By Peter Cunningham

Charter Schools

Would a Republican Government Be Good for School Kids? I'm Skeptical.

Now that Republicans are running Congress, the White House and two-thirds of the states, we will find out whether conservative government will be good for school kids. If their record on issues like...

Charter Schools

Who Won Last Night's Election? Not the Kids.

By any measure, last night was a tough night for pro-education reform Democrats. Defying expectations and the polls, Republican Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. The...

Charter Schools

The Immoral Charter Cap Battle in Massachusetts

The news that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has reversed her position on school choice and now opposes a ballot initiative to allow up to 12 new public charter schools per year in her home...

School Choice

Dear Hillary, Read This Before You Take That Advice on Public Education

Dear Hillary Clinton: Now that it looks like you really might be our next president, a lot of people who work in public education are giving you advice. [pullquote position="right"]Please take it all...

Coffee Break: Kevin Carey on ESSA, Paying Back Student Loans and 'The End of College'

While much of the education conversation focuses on getting kids college ready, the New America Foundation’s Kevin Carey takes a hard look at what it is we’re getting kids ready for, in his new book...

School Choice

Our Student Demographics Are Shifting and It's Time We Embraced It

“I am America. I am the part you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.”—Muhammad Ali The late,...

Prev 6 7 8 9 10 Next

Support Education Equity

Your donations support the voices who challenge decision makers to provide the learning opportunities all children need to thrive.

donate

Ed Post is the flagship website platform of brightbeam, a 501(c3) network of education activists and influencers demanding a better education and a brighter future for every child.