A top administrator in the New York City school system has taken a post with the Walton Family Foundation, a major funder of education issues, particularly in the area of school choice.

Marc Sternberg, a senior deputy chancellor in the 1.1 million-student district, will direct the K-12 education reform focus area for the foundation, which the philanthropy describes as its largest area of investment.

Sternberg has worked in the city school system since 2010, joining as deputy chancellor for portfolio planning. He was a Teach for America fellow, serving in the South Bronx, and opened and worked as principal of the Bronx Lab School. In addition, he worked as a White House fellow and served in the U.S. Department of Education in support of the Race to the Top and School Improvement Grant programs, according to a bio provided by the foundation.

The Walton Family Foundation has contributed at least $1 billion to education issues to date, by the philanthropy’s estimates. Among its grant recipients is Education Week, which has received support for coverage of parent issues.
Since 2010, Sternberg has served in New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, beginning as deputy chancellor for portfolio planning. He now leads the division responsible for executing the city’s nationally recognized portfolio strategy and for unprecedented student achievement gains over the past decade.