Micah Ali

Micah Ali is a seasoned education leader with a deep-rooted commitment to equity and student success .Born and reared in Compton, Micah Ali brings a keen grasp of the complex issues facing urban schools to help champion students, working families, and urban communities. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a Master’s in Education, Ali has dedicated his career to empowering students and strengthening communities.

First elected in 2007, Ali is the longest serving President in the history of the Compton Unified School District, where he helped lead a dramatic turnaround of the district’s educational outcomes as well as help pull it from the brink of state takeover (or state receivership).

Micah Ali is Founder and Conference Chairman of the California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE). Under his leadership, CABSE released a Blueprint for Education Equity—a living document of best and promising practices from across the state to address the opportunity gap for Black students. The Blueprint and CABSE have received support from a host of sponsors and funders, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Ali also served as the National Chairman of the Council of Urban Boards of Education, a Board Member for both the National School Boards Association and the California School Boards Association, and is a member of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials.

Throughout his years of service, Ali has been at the forefront of efforts to advance education equity for all students. He works with school districts and education leaders across the United States with a particular focus on helping school boards operationalize equity and high student expectations in order to secure real and measurable improvements in student achievement, student opportunity, fiscal administration, and board governance. Ali has also helped lead legislative efforts in California to broaden access to Early Care and Education for low-income children, establish school-based health centers to make healthcare more readily available to children in local communities, and expand opportunities for academic excellence in public schools.