Amy Cranston has enjoyed a 20-year career in education, encompassing a wide range of experiences serving K–12 students and educators. As a teacher, school-site administrator, and educational thought leader at the county and state levels, Dr. Cranston has dedicated her career to serving marginalized and vulnerable student populations.
Her passion for reaching students who are at risk of disengaging and dropping out of school drives her to address the needs of the whole child and to level the playing field through social and emotional learning (SEL). Dr. Cranston has conducted extensive research in the field of SEL, and she has served on multiple SEL policy committees at local, state, and national levels. She advocates for making SEL a priority in K–12 education as a means of providing students with the skills needed to navigate successfully into adulthood, thereby paving the way for all children to become happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults and actively engaged citizens.
Dr. Cranston currently serves as the executive director of SEL4CA and as the cofounder of the nonprofit organization Playing Field Foundation, which is dedicated to educational equity through SEL. In 2019, Shell Education released Dr. Cranston's supporting book entitled Creating Social and Emotional Learning Environments.
