Jackie Goldberg

Contributions and Distinctions

Jackie Goldberg is a distinguished educator, activist, and public servant known for her decades‑long leadership in public education, civil rights, and local government. She has served multiple terms on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, including as Board President, where she championed educational equity, community engagement, and curriculum improvements. Goldberg was the first openly lesbian candidate elected to the Los Angeles City Council, representing the 13th district, and later served in the California State Assembly, where she authored legislation expanding rights for domestic partners and worked on statewide education funding and policy. 

Biographical Sketch  

After graduating early from Morningside High School early, Jackie Goldberg attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in social science and graduated with her B.A. in 1966. Goldberg was a notable leader in the Free Speech Movement, a student-led protest advocating for the right to political expression on campus and challenging university restrictions on political activities. She became one of the most known student activists involved in SLATE, initially joining the campus organization because of her passion for civil rights, as well as the strong community and support from other student activists on campus at that time. Following her time at Berkeley, Goldberg earned a Master of Education from the University of Chicago and began her professional career as a classroom teacher in the Compton Unified School District, where she spent nearly two decades developing effective reading programs and advocating for students and teachers. Goldberg’s public service career began with her election to the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education in 1983, where she served through 1991 and, decades later, from 2019 until her retirement in December 2024. During her first tenure on the board she helped launch programs to address overcrowding, expand curriculum in core subjects, and establish districtwide language education programs. In 1993, she was elected to the Los Angeles City Council for the 13th district, becoming the first openly gay person elected to the body and authoring key policies such as the Living Wage Ordinance and benefits for domestic partners. She then served in the California State Assembly (2000–2006), where she chaired the Assembly Education Committee, sponsored major education bonds, and passed legislation granting expanded rights to same-sex couples.