Charter school group’s new head

An administrator from San Diego’s acclaimed High Tech High has been named head of the California Charter Schools Assn., which has been a powerful advocate and organizing force for charter schools in the state, the organization announced Monday.

Jed Wallace, chief operations officer of High Tech High since 2004, takes over an association that rose to prominence under the leadership of former Los Angeles school board member Caprice Young. Young left in August to take a job with Knowledge Universe, an education venture owned by financier and philanthropist Michael Milken. The association represents about 750 charter schools statewide.

In a statement issued by the association, Wallace said he intended “to take the lessons and successes I’ve learned from High Tech High and leverage them so that the broader public school system continues to benefit from the best practices of high-quality charter schools.” High Tech High, a charter serving more than 2,800 students, has received national attention for its project-based, technology-oriented curriculum.

Before taking the job with High Tech High, Wallace served as charter school authorizer for the San Diego Unified School District. He began his education career as a classroom teacher at Hooper Avenue Elementary in Los Angeles.

-- Mitchell Landsberg