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The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) has named Jake Baskin as its Executive Director, effective February 5, 2018. A long-time CSTA member and champion for computer science education, Baskin joins CSTA from Code.org, where he served as Director of State Government Affairs.
Founded by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in 2004, CSTA is the world’s leading association for K-12 computer science teachers. CSTA consists of 70 chapters established across the United States, including Puerto Rico, and membership representing 145 countries worldwide.
“On behalf of the whole Board of Directors, we are delighted to welcome Jake as Executive Director of CSTA. He brings great experience, enthusiasm and vision to this role. Jake has a demonstrated track record in bringing together educators, policymakers, and employers to expand computer science education. At CSTA, I know he will bring a focus on supporting K-12 teachers,” says Fred Martin, CSTA Board Chair and Associate Dean of Student Success, Kennedy College of Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell. “I also wish to express my gratitude to Deborah Seehorn, who has done a wonderful job serving CSTA as Interim Executive Director since August 2017.”
Most recently, Baskin worked with educators and policymakers to advocate for policies that expand access to high-quality computer science education with state departments of education and governor’s offices across the country. In his work at Code.org, he helped to build a nationwide network of more than 40 regional partners that worked with over 100 school districts in the U.S. to implement comprehensive computer science programs and provide professional learning for teachers.
“My local CSTA chapter was a life-changing group when I was a new computer science teacher, and I’m honored and humbled to lead CSTA and ensure every new computer science teacher gets that same level of support,” Baskin says. “I look forward to strengthening local chapters so that all computer science teachers know they have a home at CSTA.”
Baskin has dedicated his entire professional life to K-12 computer science education. Before joining Code.org in 2013, he was a high school computer science teacher, department chair, and professional development provider with the Chicago public schools. As a teacher, he focused on increasing access to computing for underrepresented groups and more than doubled female enrollment in introductory computer science classes. Baskin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Swarthmore College.
