Today we’d like to introduce you to Ken Zeff.
Hi Ken, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in the Chicago metro area as the youngest of three. My mom was a career school teacher at Chicago Public Schools and my dad was an editor at World Book Encyclopedia. Education and books were all over our house.
I completed my undergrad at the University of Michigan and began my career in management consulting in Chicago until shortly after I was married. And then I had one of those decisive moments in a career where I knew I was headed in a direction that wasn’t quite right for me. I had been completing some volunteer work in education on the weekends and decided I needed to make the leap full-time. With the help of a fellowship program, we moved to San Diego so I could join the superintendent as a special assistant. That was 20 years ago, and I have been working in public education ever since.
I then had an opportunity to move to Washington as a White House fellow and served as a policy consultant to the US Secretary of Education. After a stop in Los Angeles, we moved to Atlanta about ten years to serve as Chief Strategy Officer and then Superintendent of Fulton County Schools. Now I lead an education nonprofit called Learn4Life, which is a partnership of metro Atlanta school systems.
Our kids all attend schools in the Midtown Cluster of Atlanta Public Schools. Our oldest started at Georgia Tech this Fall. We all like to travel, try new restaurants, and explore our city and region.
In order to support public education in our city, I am a candidate for the Atlanta Board of Education, District 3 seat. The election is on November 7 and early voting starts October 16. As a parent, former superintendent, and nonprofit leader, I believe I have the experience and vision to help our students thrive.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Changing careers so dramatically after investing so deeply on a certain path was a challenge. I enjoyed my work in consulting. I knew it was time for a change when I was at a party and a stranger asked me what I did for a living. I began to hate that question. I realized it wasn’t the question I disliked; it was my answer. My friends and family were surprised to see me start over so decisively as I approached my 30s. I am pleased to say I have no regrets. This is my work. This is what gets me up in the morning.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Learn4Life?
Learn4Life is a partnership composed of metro Atlanta superintendents and key business and civic leaders. This partnership has brought hundreds of leaders and stakeholders together and has successfully delivered results for our community. Data and collaboration has been the secret sauce of our success to date. By measuring, tracking, and reporting on progress, we have been able to continuously improve our program interventions to meet the needs of all of our students. Amongst our success to date: more underserved kids have glasses, more principals are being trained in building supportive cultures for their teachers, more students are completing their college financial aid applications, and more teachers have access to world-class tools to help students learn to read.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I have learned that in order to make a personal change, it has to become a habit. If I want to get in shape, a little bit of exercise every day makes a difference. I call my parents every Sunday night at 7 pm to ensure we stay connected.
During the pandemic, our family spent a lot of time together. We started some rituals to keep us all sane. One of my favorites was Sunday hikes and documentary movie Thursdays. There are so many fun documentaries out there – Elmo, spelling bees, service dogs, etc. Part of the deal is that we always throw in some sweet treat to “encourage” the kids to participate. Insomnia Cookies, gourmet donuts, craft ice cream, etc.
It is not grand gestures that work for me. It is little by little changes that are small victories that get me pointed in the right direction.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kenzeff.com
- Linkedin: kenneth-zeff-edd
- Twitter: @kenzeff
- Facebook: KenforAPS
