Lupita Cortez Alcalá is Director of Education Policy and Outcomes within WestEd’s Early Childhood Integrated Systems and Policies team. She has 20 years of experience championing better educational outcomes for the children and adults of California, and more than a decade in government affairs for pre-K–12 and higher education.
Most recently, Alcalá served as the first Latina Chief Deputy Superintendent for the California Department of Education. She has also been Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission, becoming a prominent voice in the statewide discussion on college affordability and financial aid reform. Alcalá also served as member and chair of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.
She has helped promote and implement programs for early education, English learners, migrant students, career pathways, Linked Learning, workforce, and STEM. Her leadership in these areas included partnering with pre-K–12 and higher education leaders, policymakers, and foundations.
Alcalá holds a BA in Political Science from University of California, San Diego, and an MEd from Harvard Graduate School of Education.