Compton Unified Superintendent Darin Brawley Earns Prestigious 2026 McGraw Prize in Education

Compton Unified Superintendent Darin Brawley Earns Prestigious 2026 McGraw Prize in Education

Fri Sep 18 13:14:00 PDT 2026

National recognition celebrates Brawley's leadership and Compton Unified's remarkable gains in graduation rates, college acceptance and student opportunity.

Compton Unified School District Superintendent Darin Brawley has been named a 2026 recipient of the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education, one of the field's most prestigious honors.

Brawley received the Pre-K-12 Education Prize in recognition of his leadership in transforming student outcomes and expanding educational opportunities across Compton Unified. He is one of only three education leaders worldwide selected for the honor this year.

"This extraordinary recognition reflects Dr. Brawley's unwavering belief in the brilliance and potential of every student," said Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Debra Duardo. "His leadership has helped transform possibilities for young people across Compton Unified and demonstrated what can be achieved through a sustained commitment to equity, innovation and high expectations. We are incredibly proud to celebrate Dr. Brawley and the entire Compton Unified community."

Since becoming superintendent in 2012, Brawley has led what McGraw Prize organizers describe as one of the nation's most notable examples of sustained district improvement. During his tenure, Compton Unified's graduation rate increased from 58% to 94%, while its college acceptance rate rose to more than 95%.

Those gains reflect years of student-centered work to strengthen classroom instruction, broaden college and career pathways and connect students with opportunities extending beyond the classroom. Under Brawley's leadership, Compton Unified has developed nationally recognized career academies, created partnerships with industry and community organizations and introduced innovative tutoring programs to provide students with additional academic support.

A former classroom teacher, Brawley has spent more than a decade building a culture of achievement and opportunity throughout the district. His approach has focused not on a single initiative but on long-term, strategic investments designed to help students learn, thrive and prepare for their futures.

Established in 1988, the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education honors individuals whose work has expanded opportunity, transformed lives and inspired lasting change. Recipients are selected through a public nomination process and three rounds of judging, including a final review by an independent panel of education leaders.

Brawley joins a distinguished group of educators, superintendents, university leaders, public officials and innovators who have received the prize over its nearly four-decade history, including Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Debra Duardo and LACOE Board member Dr. Yvonne Chan.

LACOE congratulates Brawley, the Compton Unified Board of Trustees, educators, staff, students and families on this historic recognition. Their collective work continues to demonstrate the power of public education to create opportunity and transform communities.

Learn more about Darin Brawley and the 2026 McGraw Prize in Education.