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Press Release: Los Angeles Education Partnership Mourns the Passing of Co-Founder Peggy Funkhouser, Visionary Leader in Education Reform

LOS ANGELES, CA – July 15, 2025 – It is with deep sadness that the Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) announces the passing of its esteemed Co-Founder, Peggy Funkhouser, also known to her family as Margaret Crissman Funkhouser. She passed away on June 10, at the age of 94, surrounded by family. Ms. Funkhouser was a pioneering force in urban education reform and served as LAEP’s founding President & CEO, leaving behind an indelible legacy of dedication to educational equity for all students.

Read Peggy Funkhouser’s official obituary here.

Born from a casual restaurant conversation in 1983, LAEP emerged when David Abel challenged Peggy Funkhouser to respond to “A Nation at Risk.” At a time when public schools were largely overlooked by corporations, their collective vision established LAEP in 1984, setting a new standard for educational partnership.

Under Ms. Funkhouser’s extraordinary leadership for decades, LAEP became a recognized leader in combining public, nonprofit, philanthropic, and for-profit resources to genuinely improve urban education for teachers, students, and parents. The partnership successfully raised over $50 million from corporations and foundations, undertook significant efforts to enhance math, science, and humanities teaching through innovative professional development, and was instrumental in creating LEARN, the largest school reform effort in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and the groundbreaking $100-million Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project. Beyond LAEP, Peggy consulted for the Public Education Network and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, supporting the development of small high schools in LAUSD. Her extensive service included roles as Chair of Project Grad LA, Co-Chair of the Visiting Committee of Cal Arts Community Partnership, and a Board Member for CORO LA, CORO National, Cotsen Foundation, Institute for Educational Advancement, United Way, KCET, LA’s BEST, Performing Tree, and LA36.

“Peggy Funkhouser was a titan in the world of education reform, a true champion for students, and the heart of LAEP for so many years,” said Dr. Dawn A. Kurtz, CEO of LAEP. “Her unwavering belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed shaped not only our organization but countless lives across Los Angeles and beyond. We are committed to honoring her legacy by continuing the vital work she so passionately began.”

Ms. Funkhouser was widely recognized as an influential leader in education reform and public policy, both locally and nationally. Her profound contributions were celebrated multiple times, notably at LAEP’s “School of the Future Design Challenge 2013” presented by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. More recently, on December 16, 2024, at LAEP’s successful 40th Anniversary Holiday Luncheon, she was a recipient of the LAEP Legend Award, an honor shared with co-founder David Abel and Founding Board Members Rod Hamilton and Virgil Roberts, recognizing their instrumental roles in establishing LAEP. Her daughter, Lise Paul, accepted the award on her behalf. Lise fondly shared how her mom committed to LAEP with late nights and even sacrificed her own pay during challenging times for nonprofits, ensuring employees’ salaries were met.

LAEP’s enduring mission, which Ms. Funkhouser so fiercely championed, is to help students in high-need schools improve their academic achievement by partnering with educators, parents, and the community. The organization operates both as an agent of change outside of schools and as a collaborative partner within them, bringing innovative ideas, crucial resources, and deep expertise to bear on critical educational challenges.

Peggy Funkhouser’s passion, foresight, and relentless pursuit of educational excellence will continue to inspire generations. She will be deeply missed by the entire LAEP family and the broader education community she served with such distinction.

Read Peggy Funkhouser’s official obituary here.

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About Los Angeles Education Partnership

The Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance educational equity. Together with families, schools, and the community, LAEP facilitates access to and opportunities for quality educational and wellness practices so that children thrive from diapers to diplomas. For more information about Los Angeles Education Partnership, please visit www.laep.org.

For more information:

Contact: LaCora Stephens | lstephens@laep.org | 213-622-5237, ext. 233 

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Melissa Peña

Chief Program Officer

Melissa Peña serves as the Chief Program Officer at the Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP), bringing more than two decades of experience advancing educational equity, youth development, and community-centered systems change. A mission-driven and strategic leader, she has dedicated her career to eliminating barriers to learning and seeking equitable outcomes for historically underserved youth. Prior to joining LAEP, Melissa spent over 14 years at Green Dot Public Schools where she launched and scaled high-impact initiatives that reduced chronic absenteeism by 27%, expanded access to wellness services, and built network-wide support systems for more than 600 homeless and foster youth across 18 schools. Her leadership is rooted in both entrepreneurial vision and disciplined execution—designing programs, teams, and infrastructure that strengthen outcomes for students while supporting the adults who serve them. 

Melissa’s commitment to equity has shaped her work across roles in education, youth development, and human services, including senior leadership positions at The Door in New York City and national diversity recruitment efforts at Teach For America. She began her career as a fourth-grade teacher in Newark, New Jersey, a formative experience that continues to ground her belief that the key to ensuring every young person meets their full potential lies in the power of family–school–community partnerships. At LAEP, Melissa leads program strategy with empathy, clarity, and a deep belief that children thrive when systems work together from “diapers to diplomas.” She holds a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara. Outside of work, she enjoys researching her family history, exploring nature, and family movie nights with her husband and two children. 

LaCora Stephens

Marketing and Communications

LaCora is a seasoned communications professional with a passion for using multimedia storytelling to empower movements for social justice and equality. For over 13 years, she has honed her skills as a versatile multimedia director, overseeing media operations across diverse organizations, including the NAACP Beverly Hills-Hollywood Branch and The Shirley Chisholm Education Foundation. Her deep understanding of the education and equity landscape fuels her creative vision, allowing her to craft impactful narratives that resonate with audiences.

With strategic communication​ and collaboration, LaCora excels in developing and executing compelling​ multimedia campaigns that not only raise​ awareness of critical issues but also​ inspire action and drive meaningful change. Her proficiency in concept​ development, production execution, and​ team leadership ensures projects are​ delivered with exceptional quality. Furthermore, LaCora fosters strong​ relationships with internal and external​ stakeholders, cultivating partnerships​ that maximize campaign reach and impact.

LaCora's educational foundation began with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Education from Florida A&M University. She then pursued a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Alliant University of San Diego. This passion for storytelling, fueled by her background in education, translates to her belief in the power of shared narratives. Her work in this area was recognized through her selection as a Women in Film Mentee and film director for Viola Davis’ sponsored film showcase, Diversity in Cannes. Now, LaCora leverages her love of storytelling and commitment to educational equity in her role leading marketing and communications for Los Angeles Education Partnership, while also serving on the board of the Pasadena African American Film Foundation.

Eric Barela, Ph.D.

Senior Consultant, Raya Cooper Impact Consulting

Dr. Eric Barela has worked as a measurement & evaluation professional for over 2 decades, helping organizations to better understand and act on their social impact. He’s currently a Senior Consultant with Raya Cooper Impact Consulting and previously worked at Salesforce, where he led efforts to measure the social impact of the company’s work with nonprofits and educational institutions across the globe. He began his career working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and with the nonprofit, Partners in School Innovation. Eric previously served on the Board of the American Evaluation Association and currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Evaluation.

Eric grew up in East LA and was educated in the Montebello Unified School District. He holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA. He loves a good road trip, with his husband serving as trusty navigator.