Ben Cronkright (he/him/his) is a senior technical assistance specialist who has led K-12 technical assistance projects focused on solving complex problems and elevating innovative solutions within education agencies. At Child Trends, Ben will help school teams and communities generate transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a fulfilling, healthy, and dignified life.

For nearly a decade, Ben has worked directly with stakeholders at all levels of the education system, including board of education members, state education agency staff, state and district superintendents, and school faculty. Through these interactions, Ben has provided easy-to-understand research-based insights to develop more equitable and just education systems that better meet school community needs. He has expertise on a variety of topics, including strengthening teacher pipelines, family and community engagement, school and district leadership, and systems improvement.

Prior to joining Child Trends, Ben led K-12 research-practice partnerships to address complex, high-priority challenges in schools within the Regional Education Laboratory in Hawai’i, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia—and in the Central Plains states—through the U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Center Program. Ben also served as the federal programs manager/academic officer for the Hawaii State Charter School Commission, as an elementary school principal, and as a high school vice principal in Michigan.