IEL and the Harvard Graduate School of Education announce the 2017 Meade Fellow: Laura Burgos. The fellowship is an opportunity to come to Washington and meet with key education leaders.
IEL and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) announce the 2017 Meade Fellow: Laura Burgos. The Meade Fellowship provides an opportunity for a HGSE student to travel to Washington, D.C., visit leading education and related organizations, and meet with chief architects of change in education policy. The Fellowship was established in 1996 in honor of Edward J. Meade, Jr., who was instrumental in leading many educational reform initiatives for the Ford Foundation, including the establishment of IEL.
This year’s Meade Fellow, Laura Burgos, spent the majority of her career at the school level influencing instructional programming and teacher practice. As she continues her career trajectory towards systems-level leadership, she seeks to better understand the relationship between policy and practice. Her goal is to apply this understanding in exploring the interdependence of education, health, and housing policy initiatives.
“It is critical for me to understand how policy decisions are made, the scope of their influence, and how they translate into change at the school and district level,” says Burgos. “In just a few months, I will embark on my third-year residency at the University of Washington’s Center for Education Leadership. My strategic project will focus on ensuring organizational sustainability within the professional development landscape. I intend to spend my time in Washington, D.C. meeting with nonprofit organizations leveraging technology and innovation in improving results for educators. My hope is to enter my residency with new approaches to adult learning that will successfully impact student outcomes. The Edward J. Meade, Jr. Fellowship will support these goals while also allowing me to broaden my professional network across the sector. As a Fellowship recipient, I am hoping to build relational capacity with key organizational leaders who may offer mentorship opportunities as I continue my journey as an education leader.”
After completing an AmeriCorps teaching fellowship, Burgos spent over a decade serving public school students in Brooklyn, New York as a teacher and school leader. Her desire to broaden her understanding of urban school models led her to serve as a principal within a national charter school network. This experience allowed her to address achievement barriers across the country.
Most recently, Burgos directed expanded learning time programs in public middle schools, launching a writing mentorship program between senior students and business professionals. She is currently a HGSE Doctor of Education Leadership candidate. She has previously been awarded the Gordon M. Ambach Fellowship in support of her work around school accountability analysis at the state level.