Jim Blew – Bio

Jim Blew has advocated for education choice and reform since the 1990s, when he served as a founding board member for the Watts Learning Center, an early Los Angeles public charter school. From 2005 to 2014, Jim helped guide the Walton Family Foundation’s K-12 investments that grew opportunities for families to choose schools that meet their needs. He has played leadership roles in a variety of national organizations, including 50CAN, StudentsFirst, and the Alliance for School Choice. Jim was part of the leadership team under U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and served as U.S. assistant secretary for planning, research and policy development. Since then, he has co-founded a federal education policy nonprofit, the Defense of Freedom Institute, and advised organization that help shift decision-making power to teachers and families.