Kerri L Briggs

Kerri Briggs joined the George W. Bush Institute in October 2010 as the Director for Education Reform. Briggs most recently served as state superintendent of education for Washington, D.C. Briggs previously served as Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, a position she was nominated for by President George W. Bush in 2007. As Assistant Secretary, Briggs played a pivotal role in policy and management issues affecting elementary and secondary education. Briggs also served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development from September 2006 through January 2007. Prior to, Briggs served for one year as senior policy adviser in the Office of the Deputy Secretary, where she worked on K-12 policy and regulations pertaining to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Briggs joined the Department of Education in 2001 as a senior policy adviser in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. A native of Texas, Briggs grew up with her family in small towns near Houston where she attended public schools. Briggs earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1989. She did her postgraduate work at the University of Southern California, where she earned a Master of Arts and, later, a Ph.D. in education policy and organizational studies.