Robert Hughes

Robert Hughes is President and CEO of New Visions for Public Schools, a leader of public school reform in New York City.

New Visions for Public Schools works with the New York City school system, the private sector and the community to innovate to improve the educational achievement of low-income students in New York City. As one of the City’s Partnership Support Organizations (PSO), New Visions is accountable for improving student achievement in 77 New York City public schools, serving 35,000 students. The goal of the New Visions PSO is to graduate at least 80 percent prepared for careers or college.

Mr. Hughes has worked on public education issues for his entire career. He served as co-counsel in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. The State of New York, challenging the constitutionality of the New York State’s educational finance system. Plaintiffs prevailed and secured a $5 billion remedial decree for operating aid and a $13.5 billion decree for capital construction for the New York City public school system. Since 2000, he has served as CEO of New Visions. During that timeframe, NVPS has created 96 NYC public schools, provided mentoring services to 633 new principals, developed school-based certification programs for teachers and principals and created an inquiry process now in use in 1,500 New York City public schools. He is the only non Department of Education employee on Chancellor Klein’s cabinet.

Mr. Hughes received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and his law degree from Stanford Law School. He clerked for the Hon. Shirley Abrahamson, Chief Judge of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He has authored articles on public education for the New York Times, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, The Yale Journal of Law and Policy and the Connecticut Law Review. He served as Chair, Committee on Education and the Law, Association of the Bar of City of New York, Chair, Advocates for Children of New York, as well as on the board of the Center for Architecture. He currently serves on the boards of the Urban Teacher Residency United, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, the Fund for Teachers and TransAtlantic Innovation Alliance, a partnership between New York City Public Schools and the British Government.