Think Together Taps Richard Tran to Lead Bay Area Region as General Manager

New regional leadship to take the helm of 24 schools and more than 2,000 students.

SANTA ANA, Calif., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Think Together, California's leading nonprofit provider of school improvement, expanded learning and afterschool programs, today announced the promotion of Richard Tran, M. Ed. to General Manager of the organization's Bay Area region. Tran has more than 16 years of experience in the Expanded Learning space and most recently held the role of Director of Program and Operations in Think Together's Riverside County region, one of the organization's largest service areas.

In his new position, Tran will lead a team of more than 200 site and administrative staff working to support 2,292 students enrolled in afterschool and expanded learning programs across 24 schools in Newark Unified School District, Alum Rock Unified School and San Jose Unified School District. He will also work with private foundations and grantmakers to increase private funding and lead program innovation.

"Richard's leadership skills have allowed him to quickly rise through the ranks and we're thrilled to have him head our Bay Area region," said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. "With a rich career in expanded learning spanning from program management to curriculum development, community outreach and beyond, Richard is uniquely positioned to oversee Think Together's Bay Area programs."

As well as Tran's appointment, Think Together's Bay Area region is looking to fill adminstrative and site level roles across the three districts and nearly 2,000 positions throughout the state. Candidates of all experience levels are welcome to apply for roles ranging from summer program leaders to administrative support, IT technicians and early learning education specialists.

Site staff such as program leaders and site coordinators work directly with students in a classroom setting. These jobs offer flexibility with shifts worked typically during the hours after the school day and are ideal for: college students seeking careers in education and social services, semi-retired individuals looking for supplemental income, and parents seeking part-time work flexible to their child's schedules. 

"We're looking for talented individuals who are passionate about working with students to lead them through creative activities, physical fitness and enriching curriculum," said Senior Director of Talent Acquisition Holly Perry. "Many of our senior leadsership team members began as site level staff and were promoted from within. Richard is a great example of how someone can find their passion and career path to leadership starting at the community level." 

The hiring spree comes as Think Together prepares for another monumental summer bolstered by a record expanded learning investment of $5 billion by 2025 by the state of California. This is part of an overall $123 billion investment in K-12 systems to address student learning recovery and reimagine education and expanded learning solutions for every student in the state.

In addition to expanded learning programs, Tran will work with Yecenia Cardenas, M. Ed, Executive Director of Early Learning & School Age Programs, to implement plans for expansion of early learning programs in the Bay Area region. Currently, Think Together region offers full-day dual language preschool for children ages 3-4 in Alum Rock Unified with plans to nearly double students served.

About Think Together
Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements, and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together's program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

SOURCE Think Together