Our June 24 Tea guest is Raymond C. Pierce, the President and CEO of Southern Education Foundation (SEF.) SEF "engages in a range of partnerships and coalitions designed to attack the root cause of educational inequities by strengthening the capacity of advocates and policymakers. By using research-based practices, SEF’s aim is to help shape local, state, and federal policies and legislation that lead to effective systems change for Black and low-income students in the South."
Since joining SEF in January 2018, Pierce has focused the organization on policy research, education legislation and leadership development. SEF has also launched a workforce development initiative and is expanding its efforts for strengthening parental engagement in support of improving student learning.
Prior to joining SEF, Mr. Pierce was Dean of the School of Law at North Carolina Central University. Pierce earlier served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights as a political appointee in the administration of President Bill Clinton. During that time, Pierce also served on the White House Domestic Policy Council working group in the development of the Empowerment Zone and related economic and workforce development policies.