Turning data and policy into real results for students.
Daniel Basco, PhD has spent his career working at every level of American education. From the White House to state boards to school district offices, Daniel has worked to broaden access, improve completion, and deliver gains for the students who need it most.
Meet Daniel Basco, PhD
Daniel Basco, PhD has dedicated his career to turning data and policy into real results for students and communities. Dr. Basco started his career supporting President Obama’s White House, providing advice on how to strengthen science and education initiatives at the national level. He then built a demonstrated track record working with state and local governments and education institutions across the country. His policy and research efforts led to broadening access to higher education, improving college completion rates, and driving measurable gains for underserved students.
For the first time, voters will elect every seat on the Chicago Board of Education, including the seat representing District 2B. Daniel is running because this moment demands a fiercely independent voice, unaffiliated and beholden to no political machine.
He wants to work alongside the former teachers and parents currently serving on the Board, adding the data expertise and systems thinking that delivers results, not rhetoric. He believes every child in District 2B deserves a school system that actually works for them, and he is ready to fight for that.
Why He’s Running
For Dr. Basco, education has never been abstract. It's deeply personal. His grandparents were cotton and fruit pickers whose determination to pursue higher education set a family trajectory that led to his parents each earning doctoral degrees. Dan carries that story with him, along with a deep sense of gratitude and responsibility for the transformational power of education.
Daniel is a proud Northwestern University alum, where he studied at the School of Education and Science Policy. He also received his masters and doctorate in Policy Analysis from the RAND School of Public Policy.
Daniel & his husband, Jon, live in Andersonville with their dog, Major.
His Family Story
“My core philosophy is to do the most good for the most people while protecting those who are most vulnerable.”
Send a fiercely independent voice to the Board.
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