Education Strategies for Success. Cross & Joftus provides expert advice and assistance to education leaders in governments, foundations, corporations, think tanks, school districts, and advocacy organizations. Our tailored support enhances education reforms by helping clients develop effective policies, evaluate programs, plan strategically, and use best practices. READ MORE ABOUT CROSS & JOFTUS

Cross & Joftus Celebrates 5th Anniversary

Our firm is celebrating five years of great work with exceptional clients. We have a successful track record and a proven business model.

The Learning Network™

A new Cross & Joftus approach to school system improvement, The Learning Network, builds capacity at the school, district, and state levels to improve the quality of education all children receive. Read more

Cross & Joftus Announces New Partner Sharon Deich

Sharon contributes important knowledge and experience in school finance and change management. In addition, she has considerable expertise in coupling out-of-school time supports and services with traditional education reforms to improve student outcomes. Read more

Christopher Cross Interviewed by PBS NewsHour's John Merrow

Hear the podcast of Chris’ interview on the challenges and opportunities facing Arne Duncan, the new U.S. Secretary of Education. See the video of the complete NewsHour story.

Cross & Joftus Authors Reports on High School Reform and Extra Learning Time

Read Dollars and Sense: A First Look at Financing a New Day for Learning by Sharon Deich, with Heather Clapp Padgette, and High School Reform in Colorado: A History of Efforts and Lessons for the Future by Heather Clapp Padgette.

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The opportunity to work with Cross & Joftus was a great benefit to my district. Thanks to C&J, we have already made key changes to our practice. The mindset of problem solving and collaboration has great potential for our schools.

Dr. Denise Seguine
Chief Academic Officer, Wichita Public Schools

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Sharon Deich

Sharon Deich is vice president of the education policy consulting firm Cross and Joftus, where she focuses on education financing issues and change management. She also is expert in coupling after-school programming and traditional education reforms to improve student achievement.

Prior to joining the firm, she spent two decades in the nonprofit sector honing her research, policy, and technical assistance skills. During this time, she worked with federal agencies, state government leaders, city officials, and foundation initiative leaders on issues related to early care, K-12 education, after-school programming, and related education reform efforts.

From 1997 to 2007, Deich served as an associate director for The Finance Project, where she authored numerous briefs and reports on the financing of human services programs and provided technical assistance and expert facilitation to organizations looking to scale up and sustain promising initiatives. During this period, she also served on numerous advisory boards, including one for a joint project of the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and the National Conference of State Legislatures to expand extra learning opportunities as a way to improve student success.

Before joining The Finance Project, Deich spent 15 years researching and evaluating programs that support low-income children and families. Her prior experience includes work for the American Institutes for Research, where she worked closely with the Head Start Bureau to revise performance standards and the training and technical assistance system. She also spent six years working at the Urban Institute, where she was a contributing researcher and author for the National Child Care Study.

Deich earned her bachelor's degree in economics from The State University of New York at Albany and earned her master's degree in public policy from the University of Michigan.

Download Sharon Deich's Resume

Heather Clapp Padgette

Heather Clapp Padgette is a senior consultant with Cross & Joftus and has worked on topics such as high school reform and ways to finance summer learning opportunities. Padgette previously worked at The Finance Project, where she focused on out-of-school time, charter schools, and comprehensive school reform initiatives. She has authored several articles and provided direct technical assistance to state agencies and community organizations to help them identify financial and other resources to help sustain and expand programming. In former positions, Padgette has consulted with school districts and state policymakers on special education and childre's health services. She also worked on education reform issues for Chicago Public Schools and the Consortium on Chicago School Research. Padgette received a master's degree in public policy from the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at The University of Chicago.