Dr. Rose Owens-West is committed to making a difference in the lives of children, youth, and young adults by transforming the education systems that serve them.
Her current roles include serving as the Strategic Advisor and Technical Assistance Facilitator for the Western Educational Equity Assistance Center (WEEAC). The WEEAC serves 13 states and three insular areas in the Pacific. She is also the Director for Equity Projects for the Region 15 Comprehensive Center serving AZ, CA, NV and UT. She leads projects with SEAs, LEAs and county offices of education under the umbrella of the Quality Schools and Districts unit. She is a member of the WestEd Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the DEI Council.
Owens-West has served in multiple leadership roles at WestEd including Director of the Region IX Equity Assistance Center, the Smaller Learning Communities Technical Assistance Center, and as Associate Director of the California Comprehensive Center, among other federal and state-funded projects. Throughout her career, Dr. Owens-West has worked with the ESEA Title I, Neglected and Delinquent, and Indian Education programs, Title IV of the Civil Rights Act, and state initiatives for district and school improvement.
Her work addresses desegregation, civil rights for students, anti-racism and addressing negative outcomes and other inequities for African Americans, American Indians, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students and other underserved students. She coaches and consults on organizational development, strategic planning, systemic improvement, and leadership development.
She holds a PhD from Stanford University, an MA from the University of Illinois at Urbana, and a BA from Rhodes College, Memphis, TN.