Gentle Blythe

Gentle Blythe, President of Spark*, has held a variety of roles in public education and community development, serving as a teacher, school reform facilitator, community organizer, and administrator at schools and community-based organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Providence, Rhode Island. Prior to her current role as deputy superintendent, Ms. Blythe was the chief communications officer for SFUSD, where she led strategic communications for over a decade. During her tenure, public information about and engagement around the work of the school district and its 136 schools has markedly increased, resulting in a positive trend in public opinion polls and school enrollment as well as increased support from voter-approved and philanthropic investments. Ms. Blythe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and completed her multiple subject teaching credential at San Francisco State University. She has been honored with the Brown University Resource Scholar Fellowship, the Citizen's Community Foundation Award and the Howard R. Swearer Community Excellence Award. She loves being part of a team that is transforming public schools.