2025 Annual Convening: State of High-Dosage Tutoring

Dr. T. Nakia Towns has a proven track record of raising the bar for all kids, closing opportunity gaps, increasing graduation rates, and improving postsecondary readiness. As Chief Operating Officer, Nakia serves Accelerate’s program, operations, and research functions. Nakia was previously the Deputy Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), serving over 180,000 students in Georgia’s largest district, which is also the 11th largest in the country. Nakia led transformative work in GCPS to pilot high quality instructional materials aligned to the science of reading and full implementation of whole child supports to achieve educational equity. Before her appointment in GCPS, Nakia served as interim and deputy superintendent at Hamilton County Schools (HCS) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, leading HCS to become the fastest improving district in Tennessee. Prior to joining Hamilton County, Nakia was Assistant Commissioner, Division of Data and Research, at the Tennessee Department of Education. During her time at the department, she served on the executive leadership team and helped set the strategic direction for PreK-12 educational policy through her work in developing the state’s highly regarded plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Towns, who believes that access to a high-quality public education is foundational to a thriving democracy, spearheaded her division’s efforts in promoting both equity and excellence in Tennessee public schools. Nakia transitioned to education leadership at Knox County Schools where she rose to Chief Accountability Officer, responsible for evaluating and growing the district’s overall educational return on investment. Towns was instrumental in launching a new teacher leadership model and differentiated compensation plan as a director in human resources. This work facilitated her involvement in developing aspiring school leaders through the district’s partnership with the University of Tennessee Leadership Academy. During her tenure, Knox County Schools became the only large urban district to ever earn the state’s highest accountability designation and achieve a 90% graduation rate. Nakia is respected nationally for her work in public education. She was selected for the Future Chiefs leadership development program by Chiefs for Change, as well as the Broad Residency in Urban Education by the Broad Center. She has worked as an associate adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University for the education doctorate program and as a practitioner advisor for the Annenberg Institute at Brown University’s EdResearch for Recovery project. Towns has served as an expert peer reviewer, keynote speaker, facilitator, and panelist for numerous conferences and initiatives to support the work of educators across the country. Assuming roles of increasing responsibility at IBM, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo Bank, Towns began her career in the fields of technology and finance. While in the private sector, she co-founded a nonprofit after-school tutoring and intervention program in rural south Georgia, continuing her lifelong commitment to public education. Her work as a volunteer teacher in the Saturday-school program inspired her to pursue the field of education as her fulltime passion and profession. At Duke University, Nakia completed a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and an M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business. She also earned an M.Ed. in educational leadership from The Broad Center for Education Management (now at the Yale University School of Management) and a doctorate of education in K-12 leadership and policy from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. She is a Georgia native, where she attended public schools and graduated from Clarke Central High School in Athens.

Hanseul Kang serves as assistant dean and the first Anita and Joshua Bekenstein ’80 B.A. Executive Director of The Broad Center at Yale SOM.

Most recent to her role at SOM, Kang served as the District of Columbia State Superintendent of Education from 2015 to 2020. She provided strategic vision, clear direction, and steady leadership to D.C.’s state education agency, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which serves over 90,000 students in public schools across more than 60 local education agencies. Under Kang’s leadership, the District of Columbia continued to make major strides in student achievement outcomes as OSSE took important steps to sustain, accelerate, and deepen this progress for all students. Kang previously served as chief of staff for the Tennessee Department of Education from 2011 to 2015, as the state implemented major policies and programs under Race to the Top and made significant gains in student achievement outcomes. As chief of staff, she led talent strategy for the department, including recruitment for key roles, implementation of a 360-degree feedback process for all staff members, and the reimagining of the department’s regional office structure to move from solely focusing on monitoring and compliance to supporting the school districts in each region in improving student achievement outcomes.

Before that, Kang worked as a managing director of program in Teach For America’s D.C. regional office, managing a team of instructional coaches supporting teachers across DCPS and D.C. public charter schools. She started her career as a high school social studies teacher in rural New Mexico.

Kang holds a BS in international politics from Georgetown University and a JD from Harvard Law School. She was a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholar and a member of The Broad Residency (TBR 2012-14).

Lesley Muldoon is Executive Director of the National Assessment Governing Board since 2019, leading policy for the Nation’s Report Card (NAEP). She manages a staff of 12 and a $7.8 million budget. Muldoon joined the Governing Board with a charge to enhance NAEP’s value to the nation as a catalyst for action by policymakers and practitioners to improve student learning—and to innovate NAEP and maintain its relevance in a changing education landscape. During her tenure, the Governing Board achieved bipartisan consensus on the first major updates in more than a decade to the NAEP reading, mathematics, and science assessments; launched a new Strategic Vision to chart the future of NAEP in an era of rapid technological and societal change; and released four iterations of the Nation’s Report Card in 2022 and 2023, which served as the nation’s most authoritative and widely-covered study on the impacts of the pandemic on student academic progress.

She partners with the 26 members of the Governing Board and a range of education stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels to advance the Board’s legislatively-mandated responsibilities and to support the use of NAEP to improve educational opportunities for students. By virtue of the pandemic, she also led the organization through historic disruptions, supporting the Board and its staff through major transitions in organizational operations.
Previously, she helped establish and lead PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) from 2010-2017, serving as Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff. She later worked at CenterPoint Education Solutions and Achieve, where she secured $186 million in federal funding for PARCC and supported state education reform initiatives.
Muldoon holds a B.A. in English and History from the University of Maryland and a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University. She is raising three elementary school students in DC Public Schools.

Michael J. Petrilli is president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, executive editor of Education Next, editor in chief of the Education Gadfly Weekly, host of the Education Gadfly Show podcast, and a contributor at Forbes.com. An award-winning writer, he is the author of The Diverse Schools Dilemma, editor of Education for Upward Mobility, and co-editor of How to Educate an American and Follow the Science to School. An expert on charter schools, school accountability, evidence-based practices, and trends in test scores and other student outcomes, Petrilli has published opinion pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Slate, and appears frequently on television and radio. Petrilli helped to create the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement and the Policy Innovators in Education Network, and serves on the board of the Association of American Educators Foundation. He lives with his family in Bethesda, Maryland.

Kevin Huffman is the founding CEO of Accelerate, a national initiative that seeks to embed high-impact tutoring and personalized learning in public schools. Prior to helping launch Accelerate, Kevin was a partner with City Fund, a philanthropic nonprofit, where he supported the efforts of local leaders in cities across the country working to create great public schools for all children. Kevin is the former Tennessee commissioner of education, where he managed the state department of education in its effort to advance the academic progress of nearly one million students. During his tenure, Tennessee had the largest state gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Kevin began his education career as a first- and second-grade bilingual teacher in the Houston Independent School District. After attending law school, Kevin represented school districts, state departments of education and universities, working on policy and litigation matters at the Washington D.C. law firm of Hogan & Hartson. He then joined the senior management of Teach For America in 2000, serving as the general counsel, the senior vice president of growth strategy and development, and the executive vice president of public affairs. Kevin has written opinion columns for a range of publications including as a regular contributor to the Washington Post. He won the Post’s national writing competition to find “America’s Next Great Pundit” in 2009. Kevin graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in English Literature, and from the New York University School of Law.

Christopher C. Morphew has served as dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Education since 2017. During his tenure, the school has consistently increased sponsored research
funding, added innovative master’s degree programs, and secured its first three endowed professorships, among other accomplishments. Morphew’s work has been funded by the
National Science Foundation and other sources, and he has presented it in more than two dozen countries, most recently through a 2023 Fulbright-sponsored lectureship in Poland.
His book Creating Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive Schools: Challenges and Solutions was published by Johns Hopkins University Press in November 2024. He earned his PhD from Stanford University.

Dr. Matthew P. Steinberg serves as the Managing Director of Research and Evaluation at Accelerate. In this role, Matthew develops Accelerate’s research agenda, drives the design and evaluation of research projects funded via Accelerate’s annual Call to Effective Action and States Leading Recovery grant program, leads research partnerships with Accelerate’s institutional partners to drive a coordinated research agenda, and identifies and communicates key research findings internally and externally to the field. Prior to joining Accelerate, Matthew was an Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy (with tenure) and Director of EdPolicyForward at George Mason University. Matthew’s research has addressed issues of educational significance at the intersection of the economics of education and education policy, including educator evaluation and human capital; accountability and urban school reform; education finance; and school safety and student discipline. Matthew’s work aims to inform local and national policy discussions on the impact of educational policies and practices on teacher effectiveness and the educational outcomes of students, particularly the most disadvantaged among the population. Matthew’s research has appeared in leading education, public policy and economics journals. A recipient of the National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, Matthew received his PhD in public policy from the University of Chicago. During his tenure as a doctoral student, Matthew was an Institute of Education Sciences Pre-Doctoral Fellow with the University of Chicago Committee on Education, a researcher at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research and a Mathematica Policy Research Summer Fellow. Prior to graduate school, Matthew was an investment banker and a New York City Teaching Fellow.

Dr. Contreras is the CEO of The Innovation Project in North Carolina. She is celebrated for implementing policies and practices aimed at eradicating opportunity gaps. She has held two superintendencies—one urban and one in a county-wide district serving urban, suburban, and rural students. Her tenure in Guilford County—one of the nation’s largest school districts—has been recognized for driving results, including expanding access to Advanced Placement courses, career technical education, and dual-enrollment programming preparing students and their parents for the workforce. GCS’ high impact tutoring initiative and learning hubs started during the pandemic are considered a national model. In 2022, the GCS graduation rate reached a high of 91.8%. Dr. Contreras’ legacy is one of courage, determination and unwavering commitment to children and families.

Dr. Matthew Kraft is an Associate Professor of Education and Economics at Brown University, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Research Fellow with IZA – Institute of Labor Economics, and an Invited Researcher at J-PAL North America. His primary work focuses on efforts to improve educator and organizational effectiveness in K-12 public schools. His scholarship examines efforts to improve teacher hiring, professional development, evaluation, and working conditions; the application of new approaches to interpreting effect sizes in education research; and the development of school-based tutoring and mentoring programs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has published over 40 academic articles in leading education, economics, and public policy journals. His research has received over $5 million in total grant funding from a range of federal agencies and private foundations. His work has been cited over 12,000 times, and he is consistently ranked among the top 200 scholars on Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings.

Matt is regularly quoted and his research is frequently featured in national news outlets. He is the recipient of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Outstanding Public Communication Award, the Society for Educational Effectiveness Early Career Award, the William T. Grant Early Career Scholar Award, the Brown University Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award for the most outstanding article across the seven flagship AERA journals, and the National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship. Matt holds a doctorate in Quantitative Policy Analysis in Education from Harvard University as well as an M.A. in International Comparative Education and a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University. Previously, he taught middle and high school humanities in Oakland and Berkeley, CA public schools.

Meghan McCormick, Research & Impact Officer, leads investments and support for research and evidence-building at Overdeck Family Foundation. She brings over 15 years of experience as a social science researcher, with past research examining how school- and home-based programs and policies influence children’s development and ameliorate the negative effects of poverty on child and family well-being.

Amanda Neitzel, Ph.D., is an assistant research professor and deputy director of evidence research at the Center for Research and Reform in Education. She is also Director of Research of ProvenTutoring, a coalition of evidence-based tutoring providers. Her research interests include research synthesis, evidence-based education, and research use. She has expertise in experimental designs and quantitative data analysis. Dr. Neitzel has served as primary methodologist on several research syntheses examining interventions and approaches for primary and secondary literacy, as well as elementary mathematics. These reviews delve into tutoring in particular and explore under what conditions tutoring is most effective. She has coordinated research efforts on randomized trials of school-based interventions and served as Research Manager on an IES-funded evaluation of a computer-assisted tutoring intervention for elementary-aged children struggling to read. Prior to joining CRRE, Dr. Neitzel was an elementary teacher in Massachusetts and Japan, and was a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa.

Dr. T. Nakia Towns has a proven track record of raising the bar for all kids, closing opportunity gaps, increasing graduation rates, and improving postsecondary readiness. As Chief Operating Officer, Nakia serves Accelerate’s program, operations, and research functions. Nakia was previously the Deputy Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), serving over 180,000 students in Georgia’s largest district, which is also the 11th largest in the country. Nakia led transformative work in GCPS to pilot high quality instructional materials aligned to the science of reading and full implementation of whole child supports to achieve educational equity. Before her appointment in GCPS, Nakia served as interim and deputy superintendent at Hamilton County Schools (HCS) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, leading HCS to become the fastest improving district in Tennessee. Prior to joining Hamilton County, Nakia was Assistant Commissioner, Division of Data and Research, at the Tennessee Department of Education. During her time at the department, she served on the executive leadership team and helped set the strategic direction for PreK-12 educational policy through her work in developing the state’s highly regarded plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Towns, who believes that access to a high-quality public education is foundational to a thriving democracy, spearheaded her division’s efforts in promoting both equity and excellence in Tennessee public schools. Nakia transitioned to education leadership at Knox County Schools where she rose to Chief Accountability Officer, responsible for evaluating and growing the district’s overall educational return on investment. Towns was instrumental in launching a new teacher leadership model and differentiated compensation plan as a director in human resources. This work facilitated her involvement in developing aspiring school leaders through the district’s partnership with the University of Tennessee Leadership Academy. During her tenure, Knox County Schools became the only large urban district to ever earn the state’s highest accountability designation and achieve a 90% graduation rate. Nakia is respected nationally for her work in public education. She was selected for the Future Chiefs leadership development program by Chiefs for Change, as well as the Broad Residency in Urban Education by the Broad Center. She has worked as an associate adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University for the education doctorate program and as a practitioner advisor for the Annenberg Institute at Brown University’s EdResearch for Recovery project. Towns has served as an expert peer reviewer, keynote speaker, facilitator, and panelist for numerous conferences and initiatives to support the work of educators across the country. Assuming roles of increasing responsibility at IBM, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo Bank, Towns began her career in the fields of technology and finance. While in the private sector, she co-founded a nonprofit after-school tutoring and intervention program in rural south Georgia, continuing her lifelong commitment to public education. Her work as a volunteer teacher in the Saturday-school program inspired her to pursue the field of education as her fulltime passion and profession. At Duke University, Nakia completed a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and an M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business. She also earned an M.Ed. in educational leadership from The Broad Center for Education Management (now at the Yale University School of Management) and a doctorate of education in K-12 leadership and policy from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. She is a Georgia native, where she attended public schools and graduated from Clarke Central High School in Athens.

Breckan Duckworth serves as the Executive Director of Opportunity and Gap Closure for Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga, TN. In her current role, Duckworth oversees the district’s tutoring, RTI, PreK, and summer learning programs. Her background is in teaching English, and has led district-wide reading initiatives for Hamilton County Schools and Dallas Independent School District. Duckworth earned a master’s in Educational Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Shaunté Duggins, Ph.D., is a dynamic leader with experience leading and implementing initiatives at the intersection of research, policy, and practice. As Director for State Initiatives at the UF Lastinger Center for Learning, Shaunté provides leadership for the New Worlds Reading Initiative and the Florida Tutoring Advantage Program. She oversees the development and execution of research to improve learning outcomes and ensures operational excellence. In her previous role as Senior Manager of Literacy Initiatives, Dr. Duggins facilitated professional development for hundreds of early learning and Pre-K-12 educators in the areas of literacy and coaching. She excels in building and maintaining partnerships with stakeholders across policy, business, and philanthropy to advance program development and ensure positive impact for children, families, and educators. Shaunté completed her doctoral studies in Special Education with an emphasis on early literacy and teacher education. Her research includes early literacy, family literacy engagement, and professional development.

Victoria Hales is a dedicated advocate for educational access in Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga, TN. She is actively involved in initiatives such as the Impact Fellowship and Literacy First, which focus on high-dosage tutoring to enhance student performance.

With a background in school-based therapy and community non-profits, Victoria has provided therapeutic services in schools and coordinated support for families in crisis. She is committed to addressing academic challenges and improving educational outcomes in her community. Victoria lives in Tennessee with her two sons.

Kathy Kelly is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development at the Delaware Department of Education. Kathy has spent 30 years in public education in the state of Delaware. Kathy attended the University of Delaware earning an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in early childhood education. She attended Wilmington University where she received her Masters of Education in Curriculum and then her Administration Certificate. She has been a classroom teacher, instructional coach, curriculum specialist, and building administrator. Prior to the role of Director, Kathy was the Elementary English Language Arts Education Associate at the Delaware Department of Education. Kathy is passionate about ensuring all students have access to high quality instruction and all educators have access to high quality professional learning.

Jimmy Leak is a Research Analyst at Guilford County Schools. Jimmy leads the district’s efforts to manage research partnerships and evaluate the district’s tutoring program and other grant-funded projects. Prior to working for GCS, Jimmy led the design, management, and evaluation of early grade reading programs in Kenya and Ethiopia. Jimmy also teaches quantitative research methods in Education as an adjunct professor at High Point University. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of California at Irvine and a B.A. in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Holly Manson is part of the literacy team at the Louisiana Department of Education where she leads the state’s tutoring initiatives. With 20 years of education experience, her roles have included a classroom teacher, academic dean, master teacher, federal programs coordinator, and principal. She is committed to improving student outcomes by removing barriers through high dosage tutoring.

Breana Pitts is a strategic leader with extensive experience in project management, procurement, and driving organizational improvements. In her current role as Systems and Strategy Manager at District of Columbia Public Schools, she has successfully managed cross-functional teams to ensure the delivery of high-quality curricular resources for DCPS students and teachers.

A proud graduate of Howard University with a B.A. in Journalism, Breana is deeply committed to fostering equity and excellence in education, using her leadership to drive meaningful and sustainable change.

Elizabeth Ross serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning (TAL) at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) where she is proud to lead OSSE’s work to ensure that all DC students have the opportunity to excel by setting high standards, providing robust supports for educators and holding schools and school systems accountable. Prior to joining OSSE, Elizabeth served as the Vice President and Managing Director of Teacher Policy at the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Before her time at NCTQ, Elizabeth worked at the US Department of Education on myriad equity-focused teacher quality initiatives. Elizabeth began her career as a third-grade teacher at Simon Elementary School in Washington, DC. She holds a B.A. from Georgetown University, an M.A.T. from American University, a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law, where she was a public interest fellow, and an Ed.M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, where she was a Zuckerman Fellow. Elizabeth also teaches US Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing at Georgetown University Law Center and Education Law and Policy at American University.

Dr. Colby Self joined the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in June 2021 as the Director of Texas Tutoring Supports. Prior to joining the TEA, Dr. Self dedicated 20 years to Pflugerville ISD. His tenure culminated in his position as principal of Fannie Mae Caldwell Elementary School, which he attained in May 2012. Prior to his nine years in the principalship, Dr. Self served in roles ranging from elementary assistant principal to secondary level classroom teacher and athletic trainer.

Alison Williams serves as the Senior Deputy Chief of Content & Curriculum in DC Public Schools. Alison has served in the district for over 12 years, previously holding roles as: Deputy Chief of Content & Curriculum, Deputy Chief of Literacy & Humanities, Director of Elementary Literacy Professional Learning, Curriculum Designer, and Instructional Coach. Alison began her career as a Reading Specialist in Prince George’s County Public Schools. Alison holds a B.A. from Hampton University and a M.Ed. from the University of Maryland College Park.

Sherry has dedicated her career to improving government systems for underserved communities as a senior policymaker in two presidential administrations, social entrepreneur, and public interest attorney. She is the founder and executive director of AugmentED, an AERDF-backed nonprofit initiative that aims to create a future where teachers and AI work in harmony to unlock the full potential of all students. Previously, she served as the head of social impact at OpenAI. In the Biden Administration, she led the division of the White House Office of Management and Budget charged with overseeing the development of policies and budgets across the federal government’s education, labor, and social services agencies. Before joining the Biden Administration, Sherry founded and led Foster America, a nonprofit dedicated to reforming the U.S. child welfare system. In the Obama Administration, she served as a domestic policy advisor to then-Vice President Biden and a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education. Earlier in her career, she was a senior education counsel in the U.S. Senate and a children’s civil rights attorney at the Juvenile Law Center. Sherry serves on the boards of Playlab and Accelerate. She received a master’s in philosophy from the University of Cambridge, a master’s in public policy from Harvard, and a J.D. from Columbia.

Dr. Jing Liu is the Director of the Center for Educational Data Science and Innovation and an Assistant Professor in Education Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). He has authored over 20 articles in leading peer-reviewed journals across diverse fields, including economics, public policy, education, and computational linguistics. His current research is centered on the development and evaluation of AI tools designed to enhance teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom. Additionally, he investigates the skills and competencies necessary to prepare students for a future shaped by AI. Dr. Liu’s research endeavors have received significant support from many funding agencies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Overdeck Family Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the National Science Foundation, among others. He received his Ph.D. in the Economics of Education from Stanford University and finished a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Brown University’s Annenberg Institute before joining UMD, where he was recently recognized for achieving exemplified research excellence among all faculty members.

Dacia Toll is co-founder and co-CEO of Coursemojo, a leading ed-tech company, which has developed a best-in-class, curriculum-aligned, AI-powered assistant teacher. “Mojo” is designed to bridge the gap that exists between the high-quality instructional materials that districts have adopted and the diversity of student needs that exist in classrooms, especially with the learning gaps from the pandemic. With the goal of supporting both teachers and diverse learners, “Mojo” helps educators differentiate instruction by providing each student (MLL, students with IEPs, advanced students, struggling readers) with targeted, Socratic, one-on-one and small group support (in 50+ languages) in the context of either core class instruction or intervention support. In 1999, Dacia led the founding team and served as the principal of Amistad Academy in New Haven, CT. Under Dacia’s leadership, the school posted the greatest achievement gains of any middle school in the state. Dacia then co-founded and co-led Achievement First (AF), which became one of the nation’s leading charter school networks with 41 schools across the Northeast and college graduation rates that were five times peer averages. Dacia left Achievement First in July 2021 to launch Coursemojo. Dacia was also a founder and board member of Relay Graduate School of Education and 50CAN. Dacia received a BA from UNC-Chapel Hill, an MA from Oxford University, and a JD and teaching certification from Yale University.

Brittany Miller serves as the managing director for the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting at the Southern Education Foundation. In this role, she oversees the learning and coaching with school district leaders to develop an RFP and subsequent contract where a minimum of 40% of the payment to the vendor is contingent on agreed-upon student outcomes. Most recently, Brittany led as senior director of Expanded Academic Learning for Denver Public Schools (DPS) during the pilot for Outcomes Based Contracting. She has also taught in Denver and Arizona. She is deeply committed to promoting equity and considering community and school context in strategy development. She is an avid SCUBA diver and snowboarder, though typically not at the same time. Brittany holds a doctorate in curriculum studies and teaching from the University of Denver.

Jasmine Walker serves as the Director of District Engagement. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing and executing the deepening engagement strategy by managing relationships with districts that have already launched OBC projects and are interested in exploring new areas.

Mrs. LaToya Blackshear is a dedicated education professional and accomplished leader with a strong track record of success in the field. Currently the Director of Planning and Evaluation in the Office of Data and Accountability for Jackson Public Schools, she has made significant contributions during her 25-year tenure. Starting as an Elementary and Middle School teacher, Mrs. Blackshear’s passion for teaching and commitment to student success propelled her to assume various leadership roles, including Assistant Principal, Principal, Assessment Specialist, and Program Implementation Specialist. Notably, she played a crucial role as the Program Coordinator for the Mississippi K-3 Assessment Support System (MKAS2) at the Mississippi Department of Education. In this capacity, she played a crucial role in developing and implementing an effective assessment program to support students’ educational growth.

Known as a change agent and turnaround principal, Mrs. Blackshear has transformed several struggling schools into thriving centers of learning, earning recognition as JPS District Leader of the Year in 2022. As the Director of Planning and Evaluation in the Office of Data and Accountability, Mrs. Blackshear continues to play a vital role in shaping the educational landscape of Jackson Public Schools. Her expertise in data analysis, strategic planning, and program evaluation enables her to develop and implement evidence-based initiatives that foster student success and drive overall school improvement. Mrs. Blackshear holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Jackson State University and a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership from Mississippi College. She is married to Demetrius Blackshear and they have 2 sons, Gavin and Graylon.

Steven M. Ross is a professor and Executive Director at the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Ross is the author of six textbooks and over 140 journal articles in the areas of educational technology, at-risk learners, educational reform, extended learning time programs, and research and evaluation. He is a noted lecturer on school programs and educational evaluation, Editor Emeritus of the research section of the Educational Technology Research and Development journal, and a member of the editorial board for four other professional journals. He was the first faculty recipient of The University of Memphis Eminent Faculty Award for teaching, research and service, and held the Lillian and Morrie Moss Chair of Excellence in Urban Education and a Faudree Professorship at The University of Memphis. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Michael Spector Career Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Communications and Technology. He has testified on school restructuring research before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families, has been a consultant to the National Science Foundation on project evaluation design, and is a technical advisor and researcher on current national initiatives regarding the evaluation of out-of-school learning, STEM instruction, technology integration, and social-emotional learning.

Kara Carpenter, PhD is Cofounder of Teachley, an edtech startup creating K-5 math intervention software designed to promote strong engagement and deep thinking. She is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching children of all ages as a classroom teacher, outdoor education instructor and Peace Corps Volunteer. She has a PhD in Cognition and Learning from Teachers College, Columbia University, where her research focused on teaching and detecting young children’s mathematical strategies using games. Her dissertation became an Apple Design Award winning app, Addimal Adventure. Teachley’s games have ~2 million downloads worldwide, and schools in all 50 states and 40+ countries have used their data platform. She has served as principal investigator on several of Teachley’s Small Business Innovation Research grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, National Science Foundation, and National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Jason Godfrey is the Director of Data Science at Accelerate, joining by way of appointment with Harvard University’s Strategic Data Project. As a researcher, he has consistently transformed intricate, disorderly data into actionable recommendations backed by clear metrics for assessing progress. His research takes a pioneering look at linguistic practices within education, leveraging NLP tools on custom-crafted datasets of student essays to discern which semantic and lexicogrammatical features are most rewarded by their host institutions. This research offers significant value for post-secondary policymakers, empowering them to recognize and adapt the linguistic functions indoctrinated by their institutions.

Jodi Lemoine has dedicated her career to education, serving in various roles including teacher, instructional coach, principal, and district leader. During her tenure as principal, she significantly improved student proficiency across all four tested subject areas, achieving remarkable gains. Additionally, she maintained an impressive teacher retention rate of over 85% each year. Jodi’s expertise lies in curriculum development, instructional strategies, and assessment. She is a strong advocate for a data-driven approach to enhance student outcomes, ensuring that every decision is informed by evidence and focused on continuous improvement.

Dr. T. Nakia Towns has a proven track record of raising the bar for all kids, closing opportunity gaps, increasing graduation rates, and improving postsecondary readiness. As Chief Operating Officer, Nakia serves Accelerate’s program, operations, and research functions. Nakia was previously the Deputy Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), serving over 180,000 students in Georgia’s largest district, which is also the 11th largest in the country. Nakia led transformative work in GCPS to pilot high quality instructional materials aligned to the science of reading and full implementation of whole child supports to achieve educational equity. Before her appointment in GCPS, Nakia served as interim and deputy superintendent at Hamilton County Schools (HCS) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, leading HCS to become the fastest improving district in Tennessee. Prior to joining Hamilton County, Nakia was Assistant Commissioner, Division of Data and Research, at the Tennessee Department of Education. During her time at the department, she served on the executive leadership team and helped set the strategic direction for PreK-12 educational policy through her work in developing the state’s highly regarded plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Towns, who believes that access to a high-quality public education is foundational to a thriving democracy, spearheaded her division’s efforts in promoting both equity and excellence in Tennessee public schools. Nakia transitioned to education leadership at Knox County Schools where she rose to Chief Accountability Officer, responsible for evaluating and growing the district’s overall educational return on investment. Towns was instrumental in launching a new teacher leadership model and differentiated compensation plan as a director in human resources. This work facilitated her involvement in developing aspiring school leaders through the district’s partnership with the University of Tennessee Leadership Academy. During her tenure, Knox County Schools became the only large urban district to ever earn the state’s highest accountability designation and achieve a 90% graduation rate. Nakia is respected nationally for her work in public education. She was selected for the Future Chiefs leadership development program by Chiefs for Change, as well as the Broad Residency in Urban Education by the Broad Center. She has worked as an associate adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University for the education doctorate program and as a practitioner advisor for the Annenberg Institute at Brown University’s EdResearch for Recovery project. Towns has served as an expert peer reviewer, keynote speaker, facilitator, and panelist for numerous conferences and initiatives to support the work of educators across the country. Assuming roles of increasing responsibility at IBM, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo Bank, Towns began her career in the fields of technology and finance. While in the private sector, she co-founded a nonprofit after-school tutoring and intervention program in rural south Georgia, continuing her lifelong commitment to public education. Her work as a volunteer teacher in the Saturday-school program inspired her to pursue the field of education as her fulltime passion and profession. At Duke University, Nakia completed a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and an M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business. She also earned an M.Ed. in educational leadership from The Broad Center for Education Management (now at the Yale University School of Management) and a doctorate of education in K-12 leadership and policy from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. She is a Georgia native, where she attended public schools and graduated from Clarke Central High School in Athens.

Shanna Beber is the Executive Director of Literacy at the Louisiana Department of Education where she leads the literacy team in the development of the state’s comprehensive literacy strategy. Over the past 20 years as an educator, she has served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, district curriculum coordinator, literacy coordinator and Executive Master Teacher. Shanna has not only a deep passion for literacy but also for coaching teachers and leaders. This passion has led to the development of the Department’s literacy vision to have improved student literacy outcomes through high-quality instruction and interactions by an effective teacher supported by leaders and families. She prides herself on the progress Louisiana has made in such a short amount of time and is honored to lead the state’s literacy improvement work as they strive to provide every child with what they need to become skilled readers.

Lyndsey Brightful is an educator and leader with a wealth of experience in mathematics education. In February 2023, she joined the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Office of Teaching and Learning as Director of Mathematics, where she provides leadership and content expertise through facilitation of all statewide math programs prekindergarten through grade 12 in Maryland schools. Prior to joining MSDE, Lyndsey worked as a math teacher, coach, department chair, and school administrator in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Lyndsey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Hampton University, and a Master of Science degree in Secondary Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Instructional Leadership for Changing Populations at Notre Dame of Maryland University. Lyndsey’s commitment to excellence and equity in math education is an inspiration to all who work alongside her. She grounds this commitment in her dedication to facilitating a joyful, relevant, and empowering math learning experience for all Maryland students, including her own 2 young children.

Brooke serves as a grant coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Education. Prior to her return to her home state of Arkansas, Brooke lived in New Orleans, where she volunteered at the Historic New Orleans Collection as a docent and worked as a senior research project manager for a communications company, an adjunct English professor, a research director for a policy journal, and in numerous positions in the tourism/hospitality sector, which had been a focus of her doctoral studies, set in the Crescent City.

Brooke holds a B.A. in English, Women’s Studies, and Classics from Westminster College, a M.A. in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from the University of California, Davis. While matriculating, Brooke worked as a copy editor, researcher, oral historian, and teaching assistant.

Kara Hamilton is the Tutorial Programming Director of Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. She brings more than 15 years of experience in education and operations to her role leading efforts around high-impact tutoring in Guilford.

After a more than decade in marketing management, Robbin transitioned to the education sector, driven by a deep passion for advancing student achievement through the intersection of language learning and literacy. Robbin’s educational leadership experience spans multiple roles, including teacher, coach, assistant principal, executive principal, and managing director of academics. Additionally, Robbin has taught graduate students worldwide through the Johns Hopkins University Masters in Education program.

As Senior Manager of Tutoring for the Tennessee Department of Education, Robbin leads the growth and development of Tennessee’s statewide tutoring initiative. Over the past three years, this program has reached more than 225,000 students, reflecting a commitment not only to building effective systems and structures, but also to ensuring that tutoring instruction directly accelerates student proficiency and success.

Dr. Erin Phillips serves Knox County Schools as the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. Throughout her career, she has held many positions within public education establishments, including Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary Executive Principal, Elementary assistant principal and academic coach, and elementary teacher. She also served the Tennessee Department of Education as a literacy consultant and continues to partner with external organizations to improve literacy outcomes for all students.

Jess Sobin is the High-Impact Tutoring Program Manager at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which is the DC state education agency. In this role, she leads OSSE’s three-year initiative to expand access to HIT for at least 10% of DC students, with a focus on those who are furthest from opportunity. Before joining DC government, Jess worked for global education organizations, and began her career as a middle school teacher in New York City.

Liz Cohen is the policy director at FutureEd, a research center at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy focused on K-12 education. She has worked as an analyst and advisor for foundations, districts, and nonprofit organizations in the K-12 education space for nearly two decades, first at the District of Columbia Public Schools’ Office of Data and Accountability and then at the Office of the State Superintendent in the District of Columbia. She has also worked at the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness, 50CAN, the Urban Institute, and Whiteboard Advisors and was a strategic data fellow at Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research. Cohen graduated from the University of Pennsylvania summa cum laude and holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. She is the author of The Future of Tutoring: Lessons from 10,000 School District Tutoring Initiatives, coming September 2025.

Gianna Cook is a 7th grade Special Education teacher from Newark, NJ. In May 2023, Gianna graduated Cum Laude with her degree in English with a minor in Criminal Justice from the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences at The George Washington University. Gianna served as the President of The Black Student Union at GWU where she provided support, engaged in conversation surrounding Black issues, and worked towards solutions to show the power of Black solidarity. She is passionate about equity and making a change through representation in education. Gianna serves as an educator in Teach for America, a national development leadership program that provides people with opportunities to join the movement of ending educational inequity.

In addition to her profession as a teacher, Gianna is a core member of the youth organization Visions of B.E.L.L.E, LLC. which builds and empowers lovely ladies to excel. She also is a lifetime fellow of the Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship where she was a part of the second cohort of leaders in Newark, New Jersey. Through this fellowship, Gianna engaged in workshops and seminars about social justice and civic engagement. She is also a co-collaborator and co-curator of the docu-series Newarkulture which addressed social justice issues in the city of Newark. Gianna also participates in the Teach for America Activate Fellowship where she speaks authentically about her time in the corps and share perspectives about TFA, including strengths and growth areas. Lastly, Gianna is the co-founder and co-leader of the faith-based organization Daughters of the King under Church of the New Covenant ministries in East Orange, NJ.

Gianna loves the work that she does and what she will do. Gianna’s ultimate goal is to create a safe, equitable learning environment for students to thrive daily.

Hello, my name is Marissa Peery and I am a senior at Soddy-Daisy High school. Currently I work as an RTI tutor for Daisy Elementary and an instructor for Mathnasium. I am a volunteer for several amazing non-profits: ENGin, Upchieve, and keep Soddy Daisy Beautiful. Most of these organizations are tutoring related and helping the community. I plan to study elementary education at the University of Tennessee- Chattanooga in the fall of 2025.

Jasmine Rushing is currently a teacher assistant for Kindergarten-Third Grade at University Park Creative Arts in Charlotte NC. She also tutors Kindergartners using the Once Reading Program. Jasmine was introduced to the Once program in 2023, so this is her second school year tutoring scholars using Once. Through her work with Once, Jasmine is pursuing a career in teaching through Western Governors University.

Nancy Madden is a professor at the Center for Research and Reform in Education at the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. She is also Chairman of the Board, Co-Founder, and Program Design Consultant of the Success for All Foundation which develops, researches, and disseminates educational programs to increase achievement, particularly for disadvantaged students. An expert in literacy and instruction, Dr. Madden is the author or co-author of many articles and books on cooperative learning, tutoring, prevention of need for special education, and education of disadvantaged students, including Effective Programs for Students at Risk (Allyn & Bacon, 1989) and Two Million Children: Success for All (Corwin, 2009).

Lindsay Dolce is the Chief Policy and Growth Officer for ServeMinnesota and Ampact. She has an extensive background in national and state-level advocacy and outreach, and provides executive leadership to securing federal, state, and philanthropic resources for continuous program improvement and scaling proven strategic initiatives. She also provides critical direction to all Executive Directors for development, growth and replication efforts nationally.

She previously served as the Executive Director of Serve Colorado, the state’s service commission, and also worked with Colorado Reads, Colorado’s Early Literacy Initiative. In these roles, she provided statewide leadership in AmeriCorps programs, working on strategic planning, program development, community outreach, organizational and financial operations, and administration.

Before her time at Serve Colorado, Dolce worked as the Senior Program Manager for the David and Laura Merage Foundation, where she supported the implementation of a shared services approach for early care and education providers. Her career started in law, where she worked as a domestic relations attorney, a judicial law clerk, and a domestic violence prosecutor. Prior to law school, she served as a staff member for United States Senator J. Robert Kerrey and President Bill Clinton in Washington, D.C.

Dolce holds a B.A. in English, Political Science, and International Relations from William Jewell College. She also studied at St. Peter’s College at Oxford University and earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Her educational background, coupled with her comprehensive expertise, positions her well in her current role at Ampact, where she is instrumental in sourcing growth capital, forming site partnerships, and launching the replication of various AmeriCorps programs in emerging states.

Caleb Hurst-Hiller is a seasoned leader with experience in education, nonprofit management, and community engagement. As Program Manager at the One8 Foundation, he directs a multimillion-dollar grant initiative supporting high-dosage early literacy tutoring for over 2,000 first-grade students across Massachusetts. Previously, as Vice President at the Kendall Square Association, he spearheaded member programming and community engagement.

Caleb began his career as a humanities teacher before transitioning into school leadership, serving as a high school principal and later as Head of School at the Community Charter School of Cambridge, one of Greater Boston’s top-performing middle and high schools. In addition, he coaches school leaders, consults on organizational development, and facilitates equity-centered, dilemma-based discussions among senior leaders across sectors.

Caleb earned an Ed.M. from Harvard University and an A.B. in History from Brown University.

Alan Safran is Co-Founder and CEO of the nonprofit Saga, founded in 2014. Saga has raised $140 million to help students nationwide and internationally get the benefits of high impact tutoring. Alan has a 30 year career in public education, at the state and local levels, including serving as Massachusetts’ Deputy Commissioner of Education. He led the Match Charter Public School network in Boston for 9 years, where he was the co-designer of the school’s high dosage tutoring program (2004), the first ever in a US public school. Alan has degrees from George Washington University (JD) and Princeton (BA).

As Senior Director of Program Strategy at CityTutor DC, Susannah Tsien spearheads strategic staffing initiatives and teacher pipeline development while continuing to support DC’s high-impact tutoring initiative. As a DC native with over 14 years of experience in local schools, Susannah is deeply committed to closing the opportunity gap in the nation’s capital.

She began her career as a first-grade teacher at KIPP DC: Promise Academy, where she nurtured her passion for teaching, following her first cohort of students through third grade. Across her nine years as an elementary school teacher, she inspired hundreds of students to love reading and math while mentoring dozens of first-year teachers.

After transitioning out of the classroom, Susannah served as a Regional Math Coach at KIPP DC, where she developed curricula and supported school teams with implementation. As an inaugural fellow on KIPP DC’s DEI Coalition, she collaborated with leaders across the network to drive equity-focused conversations and set agendas that advanced anti-racism efforts.

Susannah holds a BA in anthropology and political science from Bucknell University.

Claire Voorhees is a senior program officer at the Walton Family Foundation. In this role, Claire oversees the K-12 education team’s policy and advocacy portfolio. Claire is formerly the National Director of Policy at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd). Prior to ExcelinEd, Claire worked at HCM Strategists, where she provided clients with strategic advice on new approaches to education reform. Claire was also an instructor at Koç University in Istanbul, teaching a comparative course on education rights and policies in the U.S. and Turkey. Claire was previously an associate at Hogan Lovells law firm and served as an associate director in the White House Domestic Policy Council. Claire began her career as a fourth-grade teacher at P.S. 43 in the South Bronx, New York. Claire graduated with a B.A. from Duke University and a M.S. in elementary education from Mercy College; she earned her M.A. in public policy from Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Dr. Christina Grant is the Executive Director of the Center for Education Policy at Harvard University. Prior to joining Harvard, Dr. Grant was the State Superintendent of Education for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Grant has extensive experience overseeing the operations and finances of school systems. Dr. Grant is a seasoned leader and manager with two decades of experience overseeing complex budgets, accountability systems, and policy and politics across several organizations. Dr. Grant’s leadership is grounded in the belief that diversity and inclusiveness is more than just a phrase but the cornerstone set of advancements needed to truly transform public education and our world. Dr. Grant served as the Chief of Charter Schools and Innovation for The School District of Philadelphia. In this capacity, Dr. Grant managed a complex organization, working closely with the Superintendent of Schools and the President of the Board of Education and the Mayor’s Chief Education Office. Dr. Grant’s career began as a public school teacher in Harlem; since then, she’s held numerous roles in education, including as Superintendent of the Great Oaks Foundation and Deputy Executive Director at the New York City Department of Education. Dr. Grant has a doctorate in education with a focus on organizational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania; two master’s degrees: one in organizational leadership from the Teachers College of Columbia University and one in teaching and adolescent reading from Fordham University; and a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University.

Kelli Bottger brings a wealth of electoral, legislative and educational leadership experience to the educational reform movement. As Louisiana Kids Matter’s Executive Director, Kelli works closely with state leaders, elected officials and coalition partners on education policy and electoral plans.

Prior to founding Louisiana Kids Matter, Kelli served as the Director of Political Strategy for the American Federation for Children. As AFC’s Director of Political Strategy, Kelli worked closely with state directors on policymaker cultivation, the creation and execution of state level electoral plans, and AFC’s candidate recruitment strategy.

Prior to joining AFC, Kelli served as government affairs and communications director for the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL), where she worked together with legislators, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) members, educators, community leaders and various stakeholders to empower teachers and provide leadership opportunities for educators across Louisiana.

During her nearly seven years in the classroom, Kelli specialized in teaching fourth grade math and science. As a teacher, she held numerous leadership roles, including serving as a mentor teacher and creating district-wide curriculum and assessments for students.

Kelli earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Louisiana State University and her master’s degree in educational leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Kunjan Narechania is the CEO of Watershed Advisors, working with states across the country to realize their most ambitious goals — from early childhood to K-12 education and the workforce. Under Narechania’s leadership, Watershed has grown substantially in size and impact. She leads a team of 35 people working across more than 15 states to envision, plan, and implement education policies that will materially impact the lives of young people.

A key architect of one of America’s most powerful school improvement stories, Narechania sharpened her leadership in large-system and government agency management and operations, instruction, and education policy. Before founding Watershed Advisors, she served as a top leader at the Louisiana Department of Education and as CEO of the Louisiana Recovery School District (RSD). As CEO of the RSD, an urban school system of 45,000 students, she led the design and execution of the state-run district’s strategy in New Orleans, including a first-of-its-kind reunification with the local school system. During her tenure, a Stanford University study listed New Orleans among the top 10 cities nationwide for student growth from 2012-2017.

As the Assistant State Superintendent of School Improvement at the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE), Narechania designed and oversaw Louisiana’s statewide plan to grow student achievement in its 500 lowest-performing schools under the Every Student Succeeds Act. As part of this work, she developed the SuperApp, one of the nation’s first systems for local school districts to simplify and leverage all state and federal grant funding to support state instructional priorities.

Narechania began her career as a sixth-grade math and science teacher and also served in leadership roles at Teach For America, including Vice President of Teacher Support and Development. She is based in New Orleans, where she proudly serves on the board of LiveOak Wilderness Camp

Dr. Kiffany Pride, Assistant Commissioner of Learning Services at Arkansas’ Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), brings nearly three decades of experience to her role.
Passionate about empowering educators and advancing student success, Dr. Pride leads efforts to equip schools with the resources and guidance needed to prepare students for college, careers, and life.

Since joining DESE in 2019 as a Special Advisor, she has played a pivotal role in driving key educational initiatives. She has also served as Director of Curriculum and Assessment and RISE Assessor for the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (RISE). More recently, she led the Arkansas Initiative for Instructional Materials (AIIM), ensuring teachers have access to high-quality materials and professional learning to engage students effectively.
Throughout her career, Dr. Pride has held various roles, including Classroom Teacher, RTI Literacy Coordinator, Curriculum Program Administrator, and Literacy Instructional Facilitator. Her extensive experience highlights her unwavering dedication to improving educational outcomes for all students.

Kevin Huffman is the founding CEO of Accelerate, a national initiative that seeks to embed high-impact tutoring and personalized learning in public schools. Prior to helping launch Accelerate, Kevin was a partner with City Fund, a philanthropic nonprofit, where he supported the efforts of local leaders in cities across the country working to create great public schools for all children. Kevin is the former Tennessee commissioner of education, where he managed the state department of education in its effort to advance the academic progress of nearly one million students. During his tenure, Tennessee had the largest state gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Kevin began his education career as a first- and second-grade bilingual teacher in the Houston Independent School District. After attending law school, Kevin represented school districts, state departments of education and universities, working on policy and litigation matters at the Washington D.C. law firm of Hogan & Hartson. He then joined the senior management of Teach For America in 2000, serving as the general counsel, the senior vice president of growth strategy and development, and the executive vice president of public affairs. Kevin has written opinion columns for a range of publications including as a regular contributor to the Washington Post. He won the Post’s national writing competition to find “America’s Next Great Pundit” in 2009. Kevin graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in English Literature, and from the New York University School of Law.