Overview
Elizabeth Magruder leads transformative initiatives reshaping the early learning and care landscape in California and across the nation. As Vice President of Early Learning at WestEd, Magruder oversees the Early Childhood Learning and Development and Early Childhood Intervention, Mental Health, and Inclusion teams and is responsible for project development and oversight of work centered on cross-sector early childhood systems, policies, and practices intended to improving learning, health, and developmental outcomes for children ages birth through 8, their families, and communities.
Magruder leads complex, multiyear projects that advance states’ early learning and care systems, driving policy reforms and change efforts through systemwide visioning to improve the quality of learning experiences for all communities, especially populations furthest from opportunity. Magruder oversees teams skilled in statewide capacity-building efforts and specializing in research and evaluation, professional learning development, and training and technical assistance innovations for the early learning and care workforce.
Before joining WestEd, Magruder served as a consultant supporting statewide early learning and care systems to enhance service coordination and design quality language and learning experiences for multilingual children, families, and workforce professionals.
Before consulting, Magruder was Lead Developer of the Transition Kindergarten pilot program for Los Angeles Unified School District in 2009, an early childhood initiative at that time. Prior to that, Magruder served as a dual immersion teacher in birth through age 8 settings and as adjunct faculty with the University of San Diego, School of Leadership & Educational Sciences.
Education
- MEd in curriculum design and instruction, University of San Diego
- Bilingual, Cross-Cultural, Language and Academic Development (BCLAD)—California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
- BA in diversified liberal arts, University of San Diego