Jason Sachs

Dr. Jason Sachs is the Deputy Director of Early Learning in the United States Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Previously, Jason was the Director of Early Childhood at Boston Public Schools (BPS) where in 2005 he oversaw the expansion of Kindergarten 1 (K1) classes and coordinated kindergarten and pre-school programs for three, four, and five-year-olds. In 2017, he was promoted to Executive Director of Early Childhood (Pre-K-gr2).

Dr. Sachs led an effort to deliver a universal high-quality system of early childhood programs for BPS, including the successful implementation of a coherent PreK-2nd grade curriculum, professional development system for teachers and principals, expansion of NAEYC accredited classrooms in Boston - all of which prepares students for successful transition into the elementary grades - and a comprehensive evaluation system of both classroom quality and child outcomes. Under Jason’s leadership, BPS developed and implemented a PreK model of aligned curricula, assessment and instructional coaching that has demonstrated significant impacts on child development and Kindergarten readiness for Black and Latino children at large scale in multiple rigorous studies.

Before joining BPS, Jason worked in the Massachusetts Department of Education’s Early Learning Services division for six years as a research and policy consultant and was a former board member of National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Dr. Sachs graduated from the Los Angeles Unified School District, received his master’s in applied child development from Tufts University, and obtained his doctorate from the Harvard School of Education. He currently lives in Somerville, MA, with his wife, Elif, and co-owns Moe Fencing in Somerville, where they have successfully coached national and high school state champions.