Jim Peyser
Partner
Jim Peyser
Jim Peyser is a Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund, where he brings to bear a strong hybrid background in education policy, charter school development and business management to lead NewSchools' East Coast initiatives. From 1999 through 2006, Jim served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education.
Prior to joining NewSchools, Jim was Education Advisor to two Governors of Massachusetts, where he helped shape outcomes-focused policy at the state level on standards, charter schools and school accountability. He also spent more than seven years as Executive Director of Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, where he supported public education innovations, including early charter schools. In 1995, he served as Under Secretary of Education and Special Assistant to the Governor for Charter Schools. Prior to joining Pioneer Institute, Jim held various positions at Teradyne, Inc. in Boston, an electronic test equipment manufacturer.
Jim is a member of the Board of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service and a former member of: the Educational Management Audit Council (Chairman), the Board of Directors of Boston Partners in Education, and the Board of Overseers at WGBH. He also currently serves on the board of directors for Achievement First, Lighthouse Academies, New Schools for New Orleans, Noble Network of Charter Schools, Perspectives Charter Schools and Uncommon Schools. Jim holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School (Tufts University) and a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University.