Current Position and Past Experience
Joel Vargas is a vice president of programs at JFF. He oversees programs focused on improving learning systems and outcomes, advancing the application of research and analytics, and inclusive regional economic development.

Joel has also advanced state policies and local practices that promote improved high school and postsecondary outcomes for underserved students. He has helped policymakers and intermediary organizations develop state and federal policies that incorporate college and career experiences into high school.

Before joining JFF, Joel directed, initiated, and studied middle school and high school programs designed to help students from underrepresented populations get into and through a postsecondary education. He also has been a teacher, an editor, and a research assistant for the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University.

Education, Honors and Achievements
Joel has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University and a master’s degree and a doctorate in education planning, administration, and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Personal Details and Community Involvement
Joel is the president of the board of directors of EdSource, a multimedia source of news for education in California. He has also served on the boards of the Linked Learning Alliance, the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, the Derryfield School, and the alumni council of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Connect
You can connect with Joel Vargas on LinkedIn