Ted Lempert is President of Children Now, overseeing the organization’s work to achieve countless major policy wins for kids, including historic school equity finance reform, health coverage for California undocumented kids, first ever state investments in home visiting, expanded access to child care and preschool and significant changes to the child welfare system to ensure more children are placed in family settings. Mr. Lempert oversaw the multi-year strategic planning process and guided efforts that led to the organization’s whole child, power building model, employing a game changing, anti-racist, connector advocacy strategy. Mr. Lempert is also the visionary behind the unique statewide network, The Children’s Movement of California, and is passionate about transforming children’s advocacy to tear down the barriers that have historically prevented kids, especially kids of color, from achieving their full potential.
Mr. Lempert is also a lecturer in the Political Science Department at UC Berkeley, where he teaches California Politics. Previously, Mr. Lempert was the CEO and co-founder of EdVoice, a California education reform organization. He was a California State Assemblymember for four terms representing San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. He served as Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee and the Select Committees on Education Technology and Coastal Protection, and co-chair of the Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education. He had more than 75 bills signed by three Governors, including major laws in the areas of education, health care, children and families, tax policy and the environment.
Mr. Lempert also served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, where he was the founder of the County’s Youth Commission, chaired the Task Force on Violence Against Women and served on the Health Plan, County Hospital and Mental Health boards, among others. Prior to holding public office, Mr. Lempert was special counsel and an associate for the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton in San Francisco.
Mr. Lempert was recognized for his legislative work with the “Al Rodda Lifetime Service Award” from the California School Boards Association; named “Legislator of the Year” by numerous leading education groups, including the National Association of Educational Service Agencies, the California Association of School Administrators, California Community College Faculty and the UC and CSU Students Associations; and received the “High-Tech Legislator of the Year” award from the American Electronics Association five times.
Mr. Lempert serves on numerous boards, including Supply Bank, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, and the San Mateo County Board of Education, and advisory boards including the Stanford Graduate School of Education, Generation Up (GenUP), Policy Analysis for California (PACE), the Center for Reaching and Teaching The Whole Child, and the Peninsula College Fund.
He graduated from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and earned his law degree from Stanford University.
