|
|
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
||
|
||||
|  |
Our Staff Margaret Blood, President Margaret Blood founded Strategies for Children, Inc., in 2001 and continues to serve as its president. Massachusetts' successful application for a $50 million federal Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge grant in 2011 provides validation of SFC's policy vision and advocacy under her leadership. The program rewards states that have created an infrastructure for quality. Of 35 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, that applied for ELC grants, only nine states were funded. Massachusetts' application earned the second highest score in the nation. Under Margaret's leadership, SFC shepherded the creation of the nation's first Department of Early Education and Care, which streamlined governance by consolidating Massachusetts' early education and child care agencies into a single department. Under Margaret's leadership, SFC also led successful efforts to establish the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program in state statute and create the nation's first state-funded scholarship for early educators. In addition, SFC's advocacy has helped propel the doubling of the percentage of kindergartners attending full-day programs. Prior to founding SFC in 2001, Margaret led the United Way of Massachusetts Bay's award-winning Success By 6 initiative. Under her leadership, key business and civic leaders became advocates for children and several public policy initiatives were enacted to improve the well-being of young children. These included making health insurance universally available to children and launching the Invest in Children license plate to fund improvements in early education and care programs. Margaret has also served as director of community programs for the Department of Pediatrics at Boston City Hospital and Boston University School of Medicine. In addition, she directed the groundbreaking and highly acclaimed national study, “State Legislative Leaders: Keys to Effective Legislation for Children and Families,” which examined legislators’ attitudes and opinions. It found, among other things, that engaging business leaders as advocates is critical for moving forward state agendas for children and families. Fluent in Spanish, Margaret began her career as a community organizer in inner city Boston, where she created an after-school program and founded the Mission Possible summer program. She then worked in the Massachusetts Legislature for 10 years, first as a legislative aide and subsequently as founding executive director of the Massachusetts Legislative Children's Caucus. Margaret’s other passion is Guatemala, where she has served as a volunteer teacher at a school for child workers. In 2007, she founded Mil Milagros, Inc., to help address the pressing health, nutrition and education issues facing children in the Guatemalan Highlands. Margaret holds a Master in Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and earned a B.A. in Spanish and business from Skidmore College. Titus DosRemedios, Senior Research and Policy Associate Prior to joining SFC in 2008, Titus was assistant to the deputy superintendent of operations at Providence Public Schools. Titus has also worked as a program evaluator for Brockton Public Schools and Volunteers in Providence Schools, and conducted preschool language and literacy assessments for Ready to Learn Providence. He has held a variety of teaching positions in Rhode Island: teaching partner for the second grade team and after-school program of the Paul Cuffee School in Providence, life skills instructor and before-school program site coordinator for Capital City Community Centers, and violence prevention educator for the Women’s Resource Center of Newport and Bristol Counties. Titus earned an M.A. in urban education policy from Brown University. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in communications studies and Spanish.Kelly Kulsrud, Director of Reading Proficiency As director of reading proficiency, Kelly Kulsrud guides SFC’s statewide campaign to ensure that children in Massachusetts become proficient readers by the end of third grade. Prior to joining SFC in 2011, Kelly earned her Ed.M. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a concentration in language, literacy and literacy coaching. At HGSE, Kelly studied with Nonie Lesaux, Ph.D., author of “Turning the Page: Refocusing Massachusetts for Reading Success,” the 2010 report commissioned by SFC that guides the reading proficiency campaign, and was awarded the graduate school’s Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award. While working as a middle school math teacher at the Santa Monica Alternative Middle School House for three years, Kelly initiated and led district-wide professional development programs designed to help elementary and middle school teachers improve students’ literacy across the disciplines. Kelly began her career as a second grade teacher at the Horace Mann Elementary School in Washington, D.C., where for three years she taught an inclusive classroom comprised of native English speakers and English language learners. She represented Horace Mann on the Teachers Institute Literacy Leadership Team, a district-wide team of elementary school teachers working to advance the teaching of literacy. She also mentored students from American University pursuing master’s degrees in education. Throughout her teaching career, Kelly worked with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. Kelly has also worked as a professional development facilitator at summer institutes across Massachusetts focused on training secondary school teachers to improve adolescent literacy in all content areas. Kelly graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and math.Emily Levine, Research and Policy Analyst As research and policy analyst, Emily Levine’s duties include monitoring policy development and implementation at the Department of Early Education and Care and the federal level, as well as providing overall support to SFC’s research and policy, field and communications efforts. Prior to joining SFC in 2011, Emily earned her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a concentration in education policy and management. She is also a certified preschool teacher. Emily has worked as a substitute preschool teacher and human resources assistant at Square One, a network of early education and care programs in Springfield, MA, and the surrounding area. As coordinator of Children in Transition, she worked in motels in Springfield and Chicopee to help homeless families enroll their children in early education and care programs. Emily earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Bates College. In high school, she served as the student voting member of the Massachusetts Board of Education.
As chief executive officer, Carolyn Lyons is responsible for the overall management and administration of SFC. Prior to becoming CEO in January 2012, Carolyn served as SFC's chief operating officer and director of strategic partnerships. In this position she managed SFC's strategic planning, development, operations, partnerships and finance. Carolyn also serves on the board of the Milton Early Childhood Alliance and Mil Milagros and has chaired the board of the Hattie B. Cooper Community Center. Prior to joining SFC in 2002, Carolyn was vice president of tour operations for EF Cultural Travel in the Netherlands. She has also worked as vice president of Pearson Education's Learning Network, a consultant with the Continental Consulting Group, director of programming development and manager of product strategy for MediaOne/Comcast, all in Boston, and as marketing manager for E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company in Delaware. Carolyn earned an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia. She graduated magna cum laude from Saint Joseph's University. Michael McLaughlin, Field Director Diana Meyers, Administrative Director Diana Meyers is responsible for managing the daily and ongoing operations of the organization. Prior to joining SFC in 2007, Diana directed Sylvan Learning Centers in the Boston suburbs of Acton and Norwood. She is certified in special education and health studies. Diana has worked as manager of placement services for Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries in Boston and technical recruiter for software companies. She served as program coordinator for Cambridge and Somerville Cooperative Apartment Projects, a human service agency that provides residential treatment for adults with psychiatric disabilities. Diana has also worked as a long-term substitute teacher in the Boston Public Schools. Diana earned an M.Ed. in a graduate program at Eastern Nazarene College sponsored by the Boston Public Schools. She holds a BA in health studies from Beacon College.Amy O'Leary, EEA Campaign Director Amy O’Leary is director of Early Education for All, a campaign of Strategies for Children, an advocacy and policy organization that works to ensure that children in Massachusetts have access to high-quality early education and become proficient readers by the end of third grade. Amy joined EEA in 2002 as the early childhood field director and has also served as the Campaign’s deputy director. Irene Sege, Director of Communications Irene Sege is responsible for developing and implementing a communications strategy that increases public awareness of the critical issues facing young children and their families and builds political support for the policy objectives of Strategies for Children. Just Prior to joining SFC in 2009, Irene was an award-winning reporter and editor at the Boston Globe. As a reporter in the city room, Irene covered the Boston schools and education, demographics, and urban affairs. As a writer on the features staff, she often wrote about children and families. Irene also served as an assistant editor of the Globe’s features section. Prior to joining the Globe, Irene edited the award-winning weekly Cambridge Chronicle. She has also taught high school social studies and worked as communications director of a university-based public interest research group. Irene holds an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in history and economics from Smith College.
|
||||
|
| 617.330.7380 400 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 info@strategiesforchildren.org |
©Strategies for Children. All rights reserved.
Photos by Alessandra Hartkopf and Kate Samp | Site by lazar design
About Us | EEA | Blog | Research | News | Get
Involved | Contact Us | Home
