Norman Atkins

Norman Atkins is the Managing Partner at Array Education, an innovation studio that catalyzes and builds enduring, mission-driven teaching and learning organizations. He is the Co-Founder of Relay GSE and served as President in its first decade. He is the Founder and former CEO of Uncommon Schools; the co-founder and former Board Chair of Zearn, and the current Board Chair of Merit America, a national nonprofit that creates fast, flexible pathways to good careers for fellow citizens stuck in low-wage jobs. In 1997, Atkins co-founded and co-led North Star Academy of Newark, one of New Jersey’s first and most celebrated charter schools. From 1989 to 1994, he was the Co-Executive Director of the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City. Atkins has supported a number of global education projects and served on the board of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. He received the Heinz Award on the Human Condition and has been inducted into the Charter School Hall of Fame. Atkins began his career as a journalist, writing about education, poverty, politics, culture, and social issues. He received an A.B. in History and an Honorary Doctorate from Brown University and an M.A. in Educational Administration from Columbia University Teachers College.