Eileen Sigmund

Biography

Eileen has been an ardent supporter of quality schools and believes that all children can excel in school if they are given high quality educational opportunities. As the President and CEO of the Arizona Charter Schools Association, New Schools For Phoenix and the Center for Student Achievement, Eileen has led notable efforts including: developing a model that measures “value-added” growth in achievement, which is used for A-F rankings of all Arizona schools; creating trainings that enable teachers and school leaders to collaboratively use data; building web-based services for ongoing formative assessment, remediation and more; helping schools develop performance management plans; launching joint purchasing programs; filing lawsuits for equitable funding for all K-12 students; advocating to level the playing field for charter schools and increasing positive public perceptions of charters; and, building a comprehensive program to support prospective charter school operators. Eileen has a strong advocacy background, having served as a journalist, litigator, and lobbyist. Her professional experience began as a print journalist for Gannett Newspapers. After graduating from law school at Catholic University of America, she moved to Arizona and litigated for a decade in Arizona courts, first as a prosecutor handling felonies in south Phoenix and child homicide and domestic violence cases. Eileen then moved to a civil litigation firm where she practiced in civil rights, education, and general insurance defense before federal, state, and administrative courts. Then politics pulled Eileen into working as a lobbyist for several years at the Arizona legislature.

Research Interest

 Business and Management