Meet our Results for America State Education Fellows
Since 2017, Results for America has been helping state education agencies (SEAs) implement the ground-breaking evidence provisions in the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to improve education outcomes for all their students through our State Education Fellowship.
To continue this important work and to help state education agencies and their school districts respond to the overlapping crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic collapse, and pervasive, systemic racial inequities, RFA launched the second cohort of the State Education Fellowship in April 2021. The cohort spans the nation with 38 education leaders from 10 SEAs - California, Colorado, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island.
The fellowship is the first to bring together SEAs’ senior evaluation and program leaders into a single network focused on accelerating the generation and use of evidence. State Education Fellows are champions of investing in what works and are helping make evidence-based policymaking the new normal in education.
STATE EDUCATION FELLOWS
Jonathan Isler
California
State Education Fellow
Administrator of the Data Visualization and Reporting Office (DVRO), California Department of Education
Jonathan Isler
California
State Education Fellow
Cindy Kazanis
California
State Education Fellow
Director of the Analysis, Measurement, and Accountability Reporting Division, California Department of Education
Cindy Kazanis
California
State Education Fellow
Mindi Parsons
California
State Education Fellow
Administrator of the Integrated Student Support and Programs Office, California Department of Education
Mindi Parsons
California
State Education Fellow
Lindsay Tornatore, Ed.D.
California
State Education Fellow
Director of the Student Achievement and Support Division, California Department of Education
Lindsay Tornatore, Ed.D.
California
State Education Fellow
Sarajean Zocklein
California
State Education Fellow
Homeless and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged (SED) Youth Data Steward in the Analysis, Measurement, and Accountability, Reporting Division, California Department of Education
Sarajean Zocklein
California
State Education Fellow
Nate Goss
Colorado
State Education Fellow
Turnaround Program Coordinator, Colorado Department of Education
Nate Goss
Colorado
State Education Fellow
Dr. Matthew B. Courtney
Kentucky
State Education Fellow
Policy Advisor, Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, Kentucky Department of Education
Dr. Matthew B. Courtney
Kentucky
State Education Fellow
Dr. Kelly Foster
Kentucky
State Education Fellow
Associate Commissioner, Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, Kentucky Department of Education
Dr. Kelly Foster
Kentucky
State Education Fellow
Natasha Stein
Kentucky
State Education Fellow
Education Administration Program Manager, Kentucky Department of Education
Natasha Stein
Kentucky
State Education Fellow
Erica Champagne
Massachusetts
State Education Fellow
Director, Office of Effective Practices in Turnaround, Center for District Support, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Erica Champagne
Massachusetts
State Education Fellow
Kendra Winner
Massachusetts
State Education Fellow
Research and Evaluation Coordinator, Office of Planning and Research, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Kendra Winner
Massachusetts
State Education Fellow
Dennis Duffy
Minnesota
State Education Fellow
School Improvement Program Manager, Minnesota Department of Education
Dennis Duffy
Minnesota
State Education Fellow
Greg Keith
Minnesota
State Education Fellows
Director, School Support, Minnesota Department of Education
Greg Keith
Minnesota
State Education Fellows
Dr. Teresa Taylor
Minnesota
State Education Fellow
Director of Student Access and Opportunity Division, Minnesota Department of Education
Dr. Teresa Taylor
Minnesota
State Education Fellow
Alan Burrow
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Executive Director of District and School Performance, Office of Accountability, Mississippi Department of Education
Alan Burrow
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Marla Davis
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
State Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Mississippi Department of Education
Marla Davis
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Ginger Koestler
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Office Director, Office of Special Education, Mississippi Department of Education
Ginger Koestler
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Judy Nelson
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Executive Director, Office of Federal Programs, Mississippi Department of Education
Judy Nelson
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Sonja Robertson
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Director, Office of School Improvement, Mississippi Department of Education
Sonja Robertson
Mississippi
State Education Fellow
Seng-Dao Yang Keo
Nevada
State Education Fellow
Director, School and Student Supports, Student Achievement Division, State of Nevada Department of Education
Seng-Dao Yang Keo
Nevada
State Education Fellow
Lynn Hoffman
Nevada
State Education Fellow
Director of District Support Services, Nevada Department of Education
Lynn Hoffman
Nevada
State Education Fellow
Gabby Lamarre
Nevada
State Education Fellow
Title I Director and Federal Liaison, Nevada Department of Education
Gabby Lamarre
Nevada
State Education Fellow
Peter Zutz
Nevada
State Education Fellow
Administrator of Assessment, Data & Accountability Management, Student Achievement Division, State of Nevada Department of Education
Peter Zutz
Nevada
State Education Fellow
Sherry Birchem
Ohio
State Education Fellow
Director, Office of Learning and Instructional Strategies, Ohio Department of Education
Sherry Birchem
Ohio
State Education Fellow
Heather Boughton
Ohio
State Education Fellow
Director, Office of Research, Evaluation & Advanced Analytics, Ohio Department of Education
Heather Boughton
Ohio
State Education Fellow
Patricia Nyquist
Ohio
State Education Fellow
Executive Director, Center for Continuous Improvement, Ohio Department of Education
Patricia Nyquist
Ohio
State Education Fellow
Chris Woolard
Ohio
State Education Fellow
Senior Executive Director, Center for Accountability and Continuous Improvement, Ohio Department of Education
Chris Woolard
Ohio
State Education Fellow
STATE EDUCATION ALUMNI FELLOWS
Lindsey Jaeckel
Colorado
State Education Fellow
Director, School Turnaround Support, School Quality and Support Division, Colorado Department of Education
Lindsey Jaeckel
Colorado
State Education Fellow
Nazanin (Nazie) Mohajeri-Nelson
Colorado
State Education Fellow
Director of the ESEA Programs Office, Colorado Department of Education
Nazanin (Nazie) Mohajeri-Nelson
Colorado
State Education Fellow
Ajit Gopalakrishnan
Connecticut
State Education Fellow
Chief Performance Officer, Connecticut State Department of Education
Ajit Gopalakrishnan
Connecticut
State Education Fellow
Desi Nesmith
Connecticut
State Education Fellow
Chief Turnaround Officer, Connecticut State Department of Education
Desi Nesmith
Connecticut
State Education Fellow
Christine Alois
Delaware
State Education Fellow
Deputy Secretary - Performance Support, Delaware Department of Education
Christine Alois
Delaware
State Education Fellow
Michael Rodriguez
Delaware
State Education Fellow
Associate Secretary of Student Support, Delaware Department of Education
Michael Rodriguez
Delaware
State Education Fellow
Karen Dodd
Kentucky
State Education Fellow
Chief Performance Officer, Office of the Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education
Karen Dodd
Kentucky
State Education Fellow
Carrie Conaway
Massachusetts
State Education Fellow
Chief Strategy and Research Officer, Office of Planning and Research, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Carrie Conaway
Massachusetts
State Education Fellow
Stephanie Graff
Minnesota
State Education Fellow
Director, Office of Equity and Opportunity, Minnesota Department of Education
Stephanie Graff
Minnesota
State Education Fellow
Yan Li
Mississippi
State Education Fellows
Director, Research and Development, Mississippi Department of Education
Yan Li
Mississippi
State Education Fellows
Seana Flanagan
New Mexico
State Education Fellow
Director, Educator Growth and Development, Teaching and Learning/Educator Quality, New Mexico Public Education Department
Seana Flanagan
New Mexico
State Education Fellow
Elisabeth Nixon-Peterson
New Mexico
State Education Fellow
Director, Priority Schools Bureau, School Transformation/Priority Schools, New Mexico Public Education Department
Elisabeth Nixon-Peterson
New Mexico
State Education Fellow
Shelly Ellis
Oklahoma
State Education Fellow
Executive Director School Support/School Improvement, Oklahoma State Department of Education
Shelly Ellis
Oklahoma
State Education Fellow
Tiffany Neill
Oklahoma
State Education Fellow
Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Instruction, Oklahoma State Department of Education
Tiffany Neill
Oklahoma
State Education Fellow
Levi Patrick
Oklahoma
State Education Fellow
Assistant Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Title IV, Part A Director, Oklahoma State Department of Education
Levi Patrick
Oklahoma
State Education Fellow
Brian Darrow
Rhode Island
State Education Fellow
Chief of Staff, Office of the Commissioner, Rhode Island Department of Education
Brian Darrow
Rhode Island
State Education Fellow
Steve Osborn
Rhode Island
State Education Fellow
Chief for Innovation, Rhode Island Department of Education
Steve Osborn
Rhode Island
State Education Fellow
Krystafer Redden
Rhode Island
State Education Fellow
Transformation Specialist, Division of the Deputy Commissioner at the Rhode Island Department of Education
Krystafer Redden
Rhode Island
State Education Fellow