Melissa is joining PIE Network fresh from her role as a Program Officer for the Walton Family Foundation Education Program, where she led on a number of issues, including choice and college and career pathways.
Before joining the Foundation, she worked at Education Strategy Group, partnering with states and districts to build alignment between K-12, postsecondary and workforce systems. Melissa has consulted with districts, higher education institutions and states, bringing experience in building a network of technical assistance, managing communications for advocacy coalition, and designing recommendations for program improvement.
She also worked on the citywide anti-poverty plan at the Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity in Philadelphia and a competitive early learning grant at the U.S. Department of Education.
Melissa began her career in education as an 8th and 9th grade math teacher at a charter school in Philadelphia. She later worked with the School District of Philadelphia on a variety of issues, including school improvement efforts, alternative models for measuring student growth trajectories and afterschool engagement.
Melissa received a B.A. from The College of William and Mary and a M.S. in education policy from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.