As Senior Associate for Policy & Advocacy at Education Reform Now, Dana works with federal and state policymakers and elected officials to advance pre-K-12 education policies that maximize educational opportunities for all students, particularly those from historically disadvantaged groups.

Dana began her professional career in education at DC Public Schools’ central office, and went on to teach in New Orleans as a founding staff member at KIPP’s first school in the 9th Ward. Most recently, Dana served as deputy director for StudentsFirst South Carolina, where she led all pre-K-12 legislative work and established herself as a go-to policy expert for legislators, parents, community members, and state-level non-profits and agencies. In her spare time, Dana provides ongoing support to TandemEd, an innovative start-up supporting community-wide leadership development in tandem with responsive institutions and investors. An immigrant from Trinidad & Tobago and first generation college graduate, Dana earned both her bachelor’s degree and Master of Public Policy from the University of Virginia.

Michael has worked as a Senior Policy Advisor to the United States Under Secretary of Education, Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), and Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI) as well as contributed in a similar capacity to every major Democratic Presidential candidate over the last 12 years. He is the staff author of numerous elements of federal education law reflected in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Higher Education Act, and federal appropriations law. He founded the New America Foundation’s Education Policy Program and has published widely on education policy writ large and higher education finance in particular. Dannenberg is recognized as a national expert on college admissions, federal education politics, and all education finance issues, including student loans, education tax expenditures, and the overall federal education budget. He holds post-graduate degrees from Stanford University and Yale Law School.