Regino Chávez

Educational Analyst
U.S.: California Hub | NORTH AMERICA

I have always enjoyed spending time with my two children and my two grandchildren. I have also enjoyed spending time in the mountains walking amongst the trees, fishing on the banks of a river fishing, or reading at some tranquil spot.

As a child growing up in South Texas, I often wondered where life would take me. So, being a curious child, I lifted my gaze to look beyond the flat lands of South Texas to look for opportunities where I would thrive. That curiosity has served me well and, at times, gotten me in trouble. That trouble is the kind of trouble I like – advocacy for those who have limited opportunities. Even at that young age, I understood that every child deserves experiences that will open the mind and spirit to adventure!

I have over 40 years of experience in health and education research and extensive experience in evaluating educational programs in the U.S. as well as internationally. I have worked on domestic projects to improve the quality of education at various levels including preschool, elementary, and high school. Domestically, I co-directed a national evaluation of the Head Start Program that was cited for its innovative methodology and listed as a highlight in the program’s 50-year timeline.

My work in Central and South America has concentrated on withdrawing children from the worst forms of child labor and returning them to informal or formal school systems. My international work has also focused on research and evaluation of preschool educational programs as well as policy work for investing in early childhood education, girls’ education, the improvement education quality at the elementary school level, and the training of educational practitioners in the use of research for improving educational practices. I led projects in Central and South America to improve health access, educational projects designed to promote indigenous parental participation in education and collaborated with local organizations in Bolivia, Peru, and El Salvador to withdraw youth from the worst forms of child labor. I also led research/evaluation efforts on projects to improve educational quality in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Egypt, India, and South Africa.

On July 1, 2021, I retired as Director of Research and Evaluation for LA’s BEST, an afterschool program that continues offering services to over 22,000 elementary school students daily. Presently, I consult offering formative and evaluation research services and strategic planning for expanded learning programs, community health clinics and for small businesses in the Los Angeles area.   

I received my B.A. in Sociology from Pitzer College and an M.A., also in Sociology, from the University of California, Berkeley.