Earl Martin Phalen is the Founder and CEO of Phalen Leadership Academies.
As a result of his proven track record, TIME Magazine wrote, “Phalen has become one of the country’s leading education reformers.”
Named for his adoptive parents, George and Veronica Phalen, Phalen Leadership Academies has been transformative in schools and communities across the country – turning multiple F-rated schools into A-rated schools. PLA currently serves nearly 10,000 scholars nationwide.
Approaching nearly 30 years of service, Earl continues to dedicate himself to changing the lives of children by providing access to quality education. Phalen began his career in education while a law student at Harvard, where he founded BELL, which operates after-school and summer education programs. Under his leadership, the organization grew from a local community service project serving 20 children to a national non-profit educating 15,000 children annually.
His impact was honored in 1997 by President Bill Clinton and was heralded as a model to guide national legislation by Secretary Hillary Clinton during her tenure as a New York Senator and by President Barack Obama during his tenure as an Illinois Senator.
Earl was awarded the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and was honored by the entertainment industry at the BET Awards. His work in education has also been lauded by the New York Times, Parents Magazine, Education Week, and ABC World News.
Phalen holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Yale University.
