Leadership Team

Dr. Margaret Fortune, President/CEO

Dr. Margaret Fortune is changing what’s possible, creating excellent educational options for Black children. As the President/CEO of ten PK-12 public charter schools in Sacramento and San Bernardino counties with a combined enrollment of 2,200 students, her work is pointed toward one North Star— to close the African American achievement gap. She has founded some of the top-performing majority African American public schools in the state of California.

She founded an early college high school in partnership with Cosumnes River College and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, focused on science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Students can earn a high school diploma and associate’s degree upon graduation.

Margaret also operates Rex & Margaret Fortune School of Education, a graduate school that credentials teachers and administrators for over 60 public school systems to address the state’s teacher shortage.

A nationally sought-after education expert, Margaret is often invited to participate in or lead conversations detailing the Fortune School approach to successfully educating Black children. She was a catalyst for efforts that resulted in the state of California budgeting a $300 million block grant in 2018 for the lowest-performing students. A graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, she served as an education adviser to two California governors. Margaret is a Trustee Emeritus of the California State University, a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, and former chair of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for her substantial contributions to the field of education.

Margaret was inducted into the National Charter School Hall of Fame for her role in reopening schools during the Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history.

Motivated by her experience on the ground helping survivors of the Camp Fire, Margaret decided to run for public office to have an impact on climate change. She was elected to the El Dorado Resource Conservation District Board, which promotes responsible stewardship of natural resources through education, planning, and project assistance.