Cindy Cisneros

Cindy Cisneros is Vice President, Education Programs at the Committee for Economic Development (CED) of The Conference Board. She leads the organization’s portfolio of education policy work including early childhood, K-12, and postsecondary education. Cisneros has testified before Congress and state legislatures, and her work has appeared in U.S. News and World Report, RealClear Education, The Hechinger Report, and The Hill, among others.

Cisneros’ career spans more than 25 years in education policy and research in the public and non-profit sectors. She was Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education under President Clinton where she managed and provided oversight of several formula and discretionary grant school improvement programs. Before her appointment at the US Department of Education, Cisneros was Senior Legislative Aide for Congressman Leon Panetta working primarily on education issues.

Prior to CED, Cisneros served as Director of Member Practice at Public Education Network. In this position, she led strategies for improving the capacity of member local education funds across the country to affect policy change and ensure that all children graduate ready for college and career.

Cisneros’ work in education research includes positions as Principal Research Analyst at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where she led state technical assistance support and implementation for college and career readiness, plus as a director of AIR’s National High School Center. In addition, she was Senior Research Associate at the Education and Development Center focused on school leadership practices.

Cisneros received her BA in political science and economics from the University of California, Berkeley and holds an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.