L. Karen Monroe

L. Karen Monroe is Alameda County’s elected Superintendent of Schools. She is the first African American woman elected to hold this constitutional office in the state of California. Since beginning her term in January 2015, Superintendent Monroe has worked to position the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) as a model of social justice in action. Leading through a time of tremendous change in public education in the state of California, including broad shifts in funding, standards, testing and accountability, Karen’s vision for ACOE prioritizes a commitment to equip the most vulnerable students and those who serve them with the tools to successfully make their way through our public schools from enrollment to graduation and beyond. 

Her extensive experience as an educator and policy leader includes serving as: legislative intern for the Honorable Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, Bay Area liaison for A Better Chance; founder of the nonprofit Educational Technology Training Institute (ETTI); an Oakland unified teacher, award-winning principal, and School Improvement Grant Coordinator, and Director of Academics for Seneca Family of Agencies; and prior to her election, Associate Superintendent of Education for Alameda County. In her role, Superintendent Monroe has fiscal and academic oversight of 18 school districts including Oakland, Berkeley, and Hayward and leads educational programs and initiatives that serve districts and counties spanning the Bay Area region.