Linda Darling-Hammond, a Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), has been named “Policy Leader of the Year” for her far-reaching and dynamic approach to educational leadership.

The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) will present the award this week during the organization’s annual conference in San Diego, which runs from Oct. 25-28. The NASBE, a nonpartisan member organization supporting boards of education leaders nationwide, said Darling-Hammond is an illustrious researcher, educator, and voice for students among policy makers. 

In addition to her GSE credentials, Darling-Hammond is the president and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) and the president of the California State Board of Education.

“The Policy Leader of the Year award is the highest honor that state board of education members can bestow,” said NASBE President and CEO Paolo DeMaria in a statement. “We are honored to recognize Dr. Darling-Hammond for her policy leadership in California and nationally. She is a powerful voice for creating equitable, effective education systems that meet the needs of all students.”

During her time with the GSE, Darling-Hammond founded both the National Board Resource Center (NBRC) and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE), and served as faculty sponsor for the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP), which she helped to redesign, in addition to working as a professor of education.

Throughout her career, Darling-Hammond has been a public school teacher, the founder of a preschool and public high school, and is considered among the nation’s most influential people affecting educational policy.

“I am honored to be the recipient of this year’s Policy Leader award,” Darling-Hammond said in a statement released by NASBE.  “I am proud of California’s work to set in motion a true whole-child transformation of public schools,” she added. “I look forward to continuing to improve the quality of public education for the students and families we serve.”