News Archives

Cross & Joftus Outlines the State of Education in Nevada

Christopher Cross, C&J Chairman, presented data on the state of education in Nevada to a salon meeting of Nevada Womens Philanthropy on January 12th in Las Vegas.
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Cross & Joftus and the Kansas Learning Network Featured in Education Daily

Education Daily reports on the Kansas Learning Network, a Cross & Joftus-facilitated effort to raise student outcomes in the state's most struggling districts. Read more

Cross & Joftus Selected as Service Provider for Districts in Need of Improvement in Kansas and California

Cross & Joftus was awarded a two-year contract by the Kansas State Department of Education to provide services to all 17 districts and 33 schools in the state that have been identified for improvement. We have also been selected by the California Department of Education as a service provider for districts in the state that have been identified for improvement (see press release). Find out how Cross & Joftus can support the improvement process in your state or district. Read more about The Learning Network™ and School System Improvement

Cross & Joftus contributes to new book Grand Bargain for Education Reform: New Rewards and
Supports for New Accountability

This book provides a unique collection of perspectives from national education leaders on how accountability, performance-based pay, and value-added assessment might be combined to offer a more robust accountability model for schools.

Sharon Deich Authors Piece on Reallocating Resources

In a newsletter written for the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, Sharon writes about the strategies used to facilitate the implementation, expansion, and sustainment of a wide range of school improvements. Read PDF

Visit Two New Web Sites to Support Our Schools and Teachers

Support the great work that is happening in our schools and classrooms by visiting myteachermyhero.com and classwish.org. These two sites allow visitors to celebrate the extraordinary influence teachers have on our lives and provide schools and teachers with the resources they need to help our children succeed.

National Research Council Releases Report on Early Childhood Math

Christopher Cross led a two-year National Research Council study on math for young children. Read the press release and an Education Week article about the study. To purchase the full report and receive a 25% discount, go to the National Academies Press web site and use code MATLEA at check-out.

Christopher Cross Describes a Broader, Bolder Approach to Accountability

Chris recently spoke with the Learning First Alliance about new accountability recommendations developed by the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education campaign.

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 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.

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 Futureby Heather Clapp Padgette.

Christopher T. Cross

Christopher T. Cross is chairman of the education policy consulting firm Cross & Joftus, where he contributes his considerable strategic planning, policy analysis, and development skills. Cross also serves as a consultant to the Broad Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Previously, he was a senior fellow with the Center for Education Policy and a distinguished senior fellow with the Education Commission of the States.

From 1994 to 2002, Cross was president and chief executive officer of the Council for Basic Education (CBE). Before joining CBE, he served as director of the education initiative of The Business Roundtable and as assistant secretary for educational research and improvement in the U.S. Department of Education.

He chaired the National Assessment of Title I Independent Review Panel on Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Education from 1995 to 2001 and the National Research Council Panel on Minority Representation in Special Education from 1997 to 2002. Currently, Cross chairs the National Research Council Panel on Early Childhood Mathematics. He is on the Board of Trustees of Whittier College. He also serves on the board of The New Teacher Project and the board of EdSource. In March 2002, Cross guided the negotiated rulemaking process on Title I for the U.S. Department of Education.

In 2001, he completed a six-year term on the Board of International Comparative Studies in Education for the National Research Council. In addition, he chaired the National Council for Education and Humanities Development of The George Washington University from its inception in 2000 through 2002. Cross served as president of the Maryland State Board of Education from 1994 to 1997. He also was a member of the National Education Commission on Time and Learning.

Cross has written extensively on education and other public policy areas and has been published in numerous professional journals and newspapers, including Education Week, Phi Delta Kappan, The College Board Review, The Washington Post, the Sacramento Bee, and the Los Angeles Times. He co-authored an article, "Systems, not Superheroes," published in the winter 2008 edition of the American Association of School Administrators' Journal of Scholarship and Practice.

His book, Political Education: National Policy Comes of Age, is on the people and events shaping federal K-12 education policy from the time of the Eisenhower Administration through the passage of the 2001 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It was published in November 2003 by Teachers College Press. Cross is also the co-editor of Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education, published in 2002 by National Academies Press. He has lectured on American education issues in Japan, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.

Cross has a bachelor of arts degree from Whittier College and a master of arts degree in government from California State University, Los Angeles.

Download Christopher T. Cross's Resume

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