About Us
Chamberlin Education Foundation supports educators and community partners to advance education equity and academic excellence for students in West Contra Costa public schools.
Our Message
Chamberlin Education Foundation CEO, Dr. Stefanie Phillips, shares the central question driving our foundation’s approach.
Our Vision
We envision a free, high-quality public school ecosystem in West Contra Costa that values student intellect and identity, challenges students to achieve their full potential, promotes student agency and wellness, and delivers equitable and inspiring outcomes for every student — particularly Black, Latinx, and other historically under-resourced students. We envision active collaboration within and between our district’s public schools that can amplify and strengthen every school’s impact for its students.
Active grants in West Contra Costa
Local investment in education in 2022-23
Schools supported
Our Location
The Chamberlin Education Foundation works to improve student success in the 54 traditional district schools and 14 public charter schools distributed across Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, Pinole, Hercules, El Sobrante, and unincorporated Contra Costa County.
Guiding Principles
Academic Excellence
We value academic excellence in the public school ecosystem. We believe that TK-12 academic success is critical to students’ long term college and career success. We support research-backed and data-driven initiatives designed to raise academic achievement and deliver measurable academic growth, particularly for underserved student populations.
Collaboration and Partnership
Distributed Community Agency
We value the equitable distribution of power, voice, and agency across our community. We leverage our resources to increase the impact and sustainability of our current and future partners. We listen to stakeholders to refine our strategy, and distribute funding and program support to those best-positioned to achieve equitable student outcomes.
Racial Justice in Education
We value racial justice in West Contra Costa public schools. We believe that equitable education outcomes for Black and Latinx students are a necessary component of a just and healthy school ecosystem. We support instructional practices and advocate for policy change to combat systemic bias and structural inequities in our public schools. We support individuals and organizations working to design systems for racial equity in public education.
Continuous Learning
We value our own continued learning, and the collaborative growth that we experience and share through work with our community partners. We believe that dynamic conditions require emergent and evolving approaches. We rely on academic research, local data, community insights, practitioner expertise, and regular, internal evaluation of our grants and programmatic work to inform our strategy and refine our philanthropic impact.
Our Team
As the former Superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District, Dr. Phillips brings an inclusive, equity-focused vision and an extensive education leadership background to the CEF team.
Dr. Phillips earned her MBA in Finance (UC Davis) and her Doctorate in Education (USC) as she advanced through two decades of public school leadership and district financial stewardship.
Chief Operating Officer
Christine directs the foundation’s accounting, finance, operations, and property management. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Real Estate and is a California Notary.
Angelina leads CEF’s data gathering, analysis, and visualization to support evidence-based decisions that drive foundation impact. Her 15 years experience working with education data inform her approach to managing CEF’s information systems, organizational learning, and internal evaluations.
Caroline oversees grantmaking at CEF, partnering with West Contra Costa schools to advance educational equity and academic excellence for all students. Caroline is a former classroom teacher and nonprofit leader with a passion for culturally responsive and sustaining instructional strategies.
Thomas heads a portfolio of grants and programs that support recruiting, retaining, and developing impactful teachers, principals, and systems leaders in West Contra Costa public schools. Thomas’s career includes over a decade of experience in education as a teacher, teacher recruiter, school site administrator, and network director.
Daniel manages the foundation’s learning facilities. He and his team ensure that classrooms, grounds, and campus amenities remain in top condition for students and school staff.
Justin leads CEF’s development of strategy, story, and systems. He manages the foundation’s media grantmaking, and heads the team’s internal learning, collaboration, and evaluation processes. Justin spent two decades as an educator, visual media producer, and nonprofit advisor.