EdPrepLab Team

Linda Darling-Hammond is a leading education researcher and policy expert, and a former teacher and teacher educator. For more than 30 years, she has worked to strengthen the education system and teaching profession by conducting extensive research on issues related to education equity, educator quality, and deeper learning. Read more >

Shael Polakow-Suransky is the president of Bank Street College of Education, and a former teacher and principal. Before joining Bank Street, he served as Chief Academic Officer and Senior Deputy Chancellor at the New York City Department of Education, where he was an advocate for educator autonomy and reforms to improve learning experiences for the city’s most vulnerable students. Read more >

Jessica Charles’s work focuses on the practice of teaching and the development of teachers. As a former classroom teacher and now as a teacher educator, she researches educator preparation practices and disseminates findings to practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. Read more > 

Maria Hyler leads research on educator quality issues at LPI. She is a former teacher and Assistant Professor of Teacher Preparation and Professional Development at University of Maryland, College Park. She has authored several publications on educator preparation and professional development. Read more >

Beatrice Benavides is a Research Assistant and Project Associate for EdPrepLab, and has been at Bank Street since 2017. Previously, she was an early childhood teacher; she has taught in California, Mexico, and New York.

Tara Kini has more than 20 years of experience working in public education as a research and policy advisor, civil rights attorney, teacher, and teacher educator. At LPI, she brings high-quality research to policymakers and other stakeholders to advance evidence-based policies that support learning for every student. Read more >

Steve Wojcikiewicz’s work focuses on initiatives related to educator preparation research, practice, and policy. He has 2 decades of experience in varied roles across the field of education, including as a teacher, experiential educator, and teacher educator. He has also held positions at the AFT and Deans for Impact. Read more >

Ryan Saunders works with policymakers to advance evidence-based education policies at the state level. A former teacher, he also worked at CCSSO to support state-level educator preparation reform, focusing on teacher preparation data systems, preparation program approval, clinical partnerships, and recruitment and retention. Read more >

Cathy Yun works to inform policy and practice through equity-driven research in educator preparation and early childhood. Previously, Yun was an associate professor and department chair in California State University (CSU), Fresno's school of education as well as an early childhood educator. Read more >

Joy Rushing's focus is on utilizing research to inform policy and practice, particularly as it pertains to teacher and leadership preparation and development within higher education. Previously, Rushing worked as an education research and policy consultant, specializing in school leadership research and project management. Read more >

Chandra L. Alston specializes in designing and conducting qualitative and mixed methods research focused on educator quality. To date, her work has examined policies and practices that support secondary teachers’ and teacher educators’ work towards culturally responsive and sustaining literacy practices. Read more >