Jean-Claude Brizard has dedicated his life to transforming educational systems and empowering students to reach their full potential. Born in Haiti, Brizard and his siblings were left in the care of his grandmother after his parents, fearing imprisonment under the regime of President François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, were forced to flee the country. It would be six years before the family was reunited in the United States. In an interview, Brizard recalled that his parents “sacrificed to get us to America and I will always work to honor their legacy and the gift of opportunity that they afforded me. It is my fondest hope that someday every child in America will grow up with that same sense of hope.”
Brizard’s first job in education was teaching prisoners on Rikers Island in New York City, an experience that prompted him to start thinking about how education might be able to stop the flow of kids into prisons. His journey as a teacher continued in the city's public school system, where he witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by students and the critical role that educators play in their lives. He would go on to hold multiple senior leadership roles in public education, including serving as chief executive of Chicago Public Schools, superintendent of schools for the Rochester (NY) City School District, and senior advisor and deputy director in U.S. Programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Today, Brizard is president and CEO of Digital Promise, a global nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focusing on accelerating innovation in education. For his work, he has been named a fellow of the Broad Center at Yale School of Management, a fellow of the Pahara Institute, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Driven by a passion to make a difference, Brizard continues to work tirelessly to improve educational outcomes for all children.
Updated: August 2024
Twitter: @BrizardJC
