Sarah Hooker is a director at JFF. Focusing on population-specific strategies, she works to improve systems alignment and close equity gaps in the transition from high school to college and careers.
Sarah facilitates strategic planning and provides technical assistance for local and state education and workforce leaders as part of JFF’s regional cross-sector initiatives in California and nationwide. She has authored several publications on policy and practice issues related to dual enrollment and early college high schools, with an emphasis on how these strategies can benefit students from underrepresented groups.
Her skills and areas of expertise include:
- Dual enrollment and early college high school
- State and federal education policy
- Leadership development
- Facilitation and collaborative design
- Inclusive regional economic development
- K12 and postsecondary education for English language learners and immigrants
Before joining JFF, Sarah was the associate director of policy and language access at the Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs in the City and County of San Francisco. She also worked with the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, DC, where she conducted research and policy analysis on English language learner education and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Earlier in her career, she worked with the American Youth Policy Forum, organizing briefings and study tours for federal policymakers focused on research-based education reform initiatives.
Sarah is on the board of Mission Graduates, a community organization that aims to create a college-going culture in San Francisco’s Mission District. She also serves as a mentor for immigrant newcomer students and formerly taught adult English as a second language classes.
Sarah says she is excited by JFF’s work in California to address “persistent disparities across the state’s diverse regions and population groups by identifying and promoting the enabling conditions for inclusive prosperity.”