The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, a respected nonpartisan organization best known for its annual report examining the status of teaching in California, became part of WestEd in 2011, and Holly Jacobson became the Center’s new Director.

Prior to leading the Center, Jacobson had spent nearly two decades with the California School Boards Association (CSBA), most recently as its Assistant Executive Director for Leadership Development and Policy Analysis. In that role, she oversaw much of CSBA’s policy agenda, including teacher quality, curricula, standards, assessment, accountability, preschool, and charter schools.

This article is a Q&A with Jacobson about the focus and future plans of the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd.