Jonathan Gyurko

Jonathan Gyurko is a co-founder and Vice President of Policy and Strategic Planning for Leeds Global Partners, a new education consulting and services firm. Gyurko brings to Leeds fifteen years of experience as a public education policymaker and practitioner. From 2004 to 2010, Gyurko was a senior advisor to the President of the United Federation of Teachers (NYC). In this capacity, Gyurko co-founded the Green Dot New York Charter School, cultivated innovative partnerships, and negotiated school-based teachers contracts that have influenced collective bargaining agreements across the country. Prior to his work with the UFT, Gyurko was the Director of Charter Schools for the New York City Department of Education where he was responsible for the oversight and support of 32 schools educating over 8,000 students. During his tenure, landmark steps were taken to expand the number and quality of charter schools across the city. Gyurko was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned his B.A. degree. He holds an M.P.A. from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is completing a Ph.D. in Politics and Education, also from Columbia.