I have 20 years of professional experience researching education policies and best practices and supporting education programs, and I am honored to bring my expertise in education to the Board.

My professional experience includes:

• Directing a national data collection and data analysis of teacher preparation program characteristics and trends. I am deeply familiar with trends, innovative practices, and nuances of teacher preparation and recruitment issues.

• Conducting site visits and providing implementation support for several grant programs related to the teacher workforce. I have expertise in teacher evaluation and compensation systems, and promising practices related to teacher retention and support.

• Leading a workgroup of experts to address issues related to strengthening and diversifying the educator workforce. I have expertise in supporting states and districts tackle educator workforce issues.

• Working with districts, colleges, and non-profit organizations seeking to increase college readiness, access, and success through innovative partnerships and programs. I understand the barriers to college access and readiness, particularly for first-generation college-goers, English Learners, and marginalized communities.

• Conducting site visits and implementation support for grant recipients conducting afterschool programs, as well as supporting a learning community of state leaders collaborating on afterschool program implementation best practices. I know that high-quality afterschool programs can have a profound impact on student success.

• Supporting a large-scale, ongoing nationwide research study on English Learners, which includes better understanding the impact of dual-language immersion programs on English Learners. In addition to having kids in ACSD1’s DLI program, I am grounded in the latest research on dual language immersion programs.

• Interviewing principals and conducting teacher focus groups to gather feedback on various education programs; and, facilitating roundtables with alternative teacher preparation providers. I am a skilled facilitator and I know what questions to ask to understand challenges and promising practices.

• Presenting at dozens of national conferences on topics including teacher preparation, teacher recruitment, and college access and success.

• Conducting classroom observations as a CLASS-certified observer.

In addition to my professional experience, my expertise and perspectives are informed by many years of volunteer and leadership work, including:

• Serving as Chairperson and/or Board Member of several community-based and statewide boards and committees, including the Be the Change Scholarship Committee. I am skilled in working together with diverse personalities and perspectives.

• Volunteering in school, summer school, and afterschool settings, which has included working directly with migrant communities and students, homeless students, children in the foster care system, and English Learners. I am familiar with the ways in which students’ backgrounds and home lives affect not only their academic success, but their social and emotional well-being.

• Volunteering as a youth mentor for high school girls; coaching for the She’s a Runner Girl program; and co-founding and coaching the Laramie Valley Jackalopes cross country programs for grades K-5. I am dedicated to increasing positive enrichment opportunities for students in our community.

I am proud to have earned the following degrees:

• B.A. in Sociology, Winthrop University, 2006 (Summa Cum Laude)

• M.A. in Political Science, University of Wyoming, 2010 (4.0 GPA, Outstanding Master’s Student)