Dr. Margaret Fortune

Margaret Fortune is a trailblazing education leader whose work has reshaped public education in California. She is the founder and CEO of Fortune School, a network of public charter schools serving grades TK–12, including preschools, with a mission to close the African American achievement gap through academic excellence and culturally responsive education.

She also leads Fortune School of Education, a state-accredited teacher credentialing institution serving over 40 public school systems across California.

A former senior advisor to Governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Fortune chaired the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, spearheading efforts to strengthen and diversify the educator workforce. She also served on the California State University Board of Trustees and is a respected voice in education reform and teacher preparation.

As an advocate, Margaret has had a profound impact—including sponsoring legislation that led California to increase public school funding by $300 million annually to address the needs of its most underserved students. Known as the Equity Multiplier, this is the only change that has been made to the state’s current education funding formula since it was enacted.

Fortune holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University. In recognition of her groundbreaking innovations in education, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.