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Walter

Walter Chen

Deputy Chief of Special Projects

About Walter

Walter Chen is the Deputy Chief of Special Projects on the Academics team at Attuned Education Partners, where he supports schools and school systems with strengthening and monitoring their implementation of high quality instructional materials. Walter has also supported several learning cohorts, from building depth of knowledge in literacy, to strengthening leadership capacity, to helping founding school leaders design new schools with equity and excellence. Walter’s work with early literacy implementation in Richmond Public Schools led to the district reaching all-time highs across subgroups on the state early literacy assessment (VALSS) while narrowing proficiency gaps for Black and Latinx students. Walter also helped to incubate new schools in cities like St. Louis, Baton Rouge, and San Antonio, providing thousands of new seats for families.

Career Summary

Walter brings over two decades of experience in public schools. Prior to joining Attuned, he served as the founding principal of Rainier Valley Leadership Academy (RVLA), leading the design and launch of the first charter middle school in Seattle. During Walter’s time there, RVLA scholars achieved the highest math and reading growth on state assessments in the Green Dot Public Schools network. Walter previously served as an elementary principal and a middle school assistant principal in Seattle Public Schools, where he oversaw double-digit gains in math proficiency in his schools.

Education, Awards & Fellowships

Walter holds a B.A. in Economics from Pomona College and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education and Teaching from UCLA. He also earned a Principal Certification from the University of Washington’s Danforth Educational Leadership Program.

My Why

Since beginning his educational career as a middle school math teacher in south Los Angeles, Walter held a strong conviction that educational equity is the quickest pathway to social justice. This means that all students, no matter their race, family income, or zip code, deserve access to an excellent education that prepares them to achieve their greatest aspirations.

What Brings Me Joy

Walter enjoys cheering on the local Seattle teams, crafting homemade ice cream, and exploring new cities through the lens of food. Most of all, he enjoys family time with his wife and two daughters.