Our Team

Our researchers testify as expert witnesses before Congress and state legislatures, serve as advisors to local and national organizations, present at national meetings and conferences and frequently provide interviews and written commentary on complex and emerging issues. Together our team provides breadth of experience and depth of expertise on a range of education issues.

Robin Lake
Director

Focus Areas: Innovation, Charter Schools, Special Education, Portfolio Strategy

Mary Jane Anderson
Publications Project Manager

Hailey Bergren
Junior Research Assistant

David Blynov
Junior Research Assistant

Heather Casimere
Assistant to the Director

Lisa Chu
Research Analyst

Michael DeArmond
Senior Research Analyst

Focus Areas: Human Capital, Organizational Change, Policy Implementation

Bree Dusseault
Practitioner-in-Residence

Kristine Echert
Fiscal Specialist

Sean Gill
Research Analyst

Focus Areas: School Finance, District-Charter Cooperation

Betheny Gross
Associate Director

Focus Areas: Personalized Learning, School Choice, Special Education

Padma Gundapaneni
Junior Research Assistant

Georgia Heyward
Research Analyst

Focus Areas: Rural Education, Community, Career Readiness

Paul Hill
Founder, CRPE and Research Professor, UWB

Focus Areas: Portfolio Strategy, Politics, Governance

Steven Hodas
Senior Fellow

Ashley Jochim
Senior Research Analyst

Focus Areas: State Politics and Governance, Turnaround Strategies

Joe Lollo
Junior Research Assistant

Jean Lombardi
Director of Strategy and Operations

Erik Luc
Operations Program Manager

Alvin Makori
Junior Research Assistant

Laura Mann
Communications Director

Sarah McCann
Project Manager

Lanya McKittrick
Research Analyst

Focus Area: Special Education

Alyssa Nguyen
Junior Research Assistant

Alice Opalka
Research Analyst

Focus Areas: Portfolio Strategy and Implementation

Cara Pangelinan
Research Assistant

Travis Pillow
Editorial Director

Focus Areas: Parent & Public Engagement, School Choice

Jenna Ramsey
Communications Associate

Barbara Talkington
Research Analyst

Barbara Talkington is a research analyst at the Center on Reinventing Public Education.

Sivan Tuchman
Research Analyst

Focus Areas: Special Education, Data Science

Steven Wilson
Senior Fellow

This profile of Common Ground High School in New Haven details the school's practices that have made it successful, how they have adapted in the face of the pandemic, and how other school communities can begin conversations about wielding student voice and agency to innovate.

Our latest analysis of school district learning models from March 1 to March 13 finds that a clear majority—57 percent—of the nation’s school districts report offering full-time in-person learning.