Black
Lives
Matter
We believe the key to upward mobility in America is a great education. But today, more than sixty years after Brown v. Board of Education, access to a quality education is still determined by a student’s race, income, and zip code.
Despite these persistent challenges, there are bright spots all across the country. There are innovative public schools run by dedicated and visionary leaders that are preparing thousands of students for college and a successful life. There are parent-led organizations fighting for opportunity in their communities.
These leaders give us hope. But they face so many barriers that can keep their work from succeeding. Whether it’s an entrenched political opposition or the devastating impact of apathy from those in power, creating bold educational change can feel like rolling a boulder uphill.
That’s why we exist - to help local leaders who are fighting to change the status quo in our education system. And by doing so, we will move towards a nation where every child has access to a great public school.
We believe educational change should be driven by local leaders who know the needs of their communities. But sometimes local leaders need support, and that’s where we come in.
We are a group of non-profit leaders and political strategists with a proven track record of winning victories on behalf of families and communities. We work with our partners - including school leaders, parents, and advocacy organizations - to run winning campaigns that help kids gain access to great schools.
Our team develops a unique advocacy strategy for each campaign, including coalition building, online and offline organizing, event management, communications, creative, research, and digital. Then, we work together with our partners to put that plan into action.
Sean is a Founding Partner of P.A.C.E Education Strategies. Sean manages advocacy and electoral campaigns across states and supports various internal functions, including fundraising and new partnerships.
Prior to co-founding P.A.C.E, Sean served as the Chief Program Officer at Families for Excellent Schools (FES). Before joining FES, Sean was the Chief of Staff for Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), where he advised on campaign strategy in fourteen states. In this role, Sean also executed national and state initiatives, standardized best practices, and strengthened the communication infrastructure between states and the national organization. Sean also spent more than two years working as the Deputy Field Director at Education Reform Now (ERN), where he spearheaded long-term community support campaigns focused on bringing school choice to new neighborhoods, student recruitment campaigns, and short-term turnout campaigns for elections, rallies, and hearings.
Sean is from LaGrangeville, NY and graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a B.A. in Political Science. Sean has lived abroad in Morocco and Mexico. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and two young kids.
Back to TopReshma is a Founding Partner of P.A.C.E Education Strategies and oversees various advocacy campaigns and the organization’s internal operations, fundraising, and new partnerships. Before co-founding P.A.C.E, Reshma held leadership positions at Families for Excellent Schools, Partnership for Educational Justice, Achievement First, and Teach For America. She holds an M.P.A. from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and a B.A. in Urban Studies and Political Science from Rutgers College. She is also an alumna of The Broad Residency in Urban Education.
Reshma sits on the Board of Directors of Achievement First Rhode Island and the community advisory board of the Sikh Coalition. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and, in her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Back to TopSara is an Engagements Director at P.A.C.E, where she manages advocacy campaigns, coalitions, digital media, and supports fundraising. Before working at P.A.C.E., Sara worked in education advocacy at Families for Excellent Schools.
Sara began her education career as a Teach For America Corps Member in Providence, RI. She taught middle school special education and was a literacy coach in the Providence Public School District. She continued her teaching career in NYC at New Heights Academy Charter School. She holds an M.A. from Brown University in Urban Education Policy and a B.A. from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School in International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, and Policy Studies.
Sara is from Webster (where life is worth living), NY and comes from a family of educators. She currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and amazing dog, Willie. In her free time, Sara loves to travel, hang out at the local dog park, read young adult fiction, and get in as many Crossfit workouts as possible.
Back to TopWill is the Managing Director of Communications and Digital at P.A.C.E, and oversees all communications, media, digital, creative, and research work. Will has years of experience leading media campaigns in New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Connecticut. Before working in education, Will worked on political campaigns in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and co-founded a nonprofit dedicated to developing young leaders committed to alleviating global poverty.
Will is from Boston, Massachusetts and graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in International Relations. He is a diehard Boston sports fan.
Back to TopNathan is P.A.C.E.’s Director of Research and Policy. In this role, Nathan develops the research arguments that serve as the bedrock of effective advocacy campaigns. Whether it's writing a white paper, creating a policy briefing, or assisting in rapid-response, Nathan tailors content to meet our partners' needs. Prior to joining P.A.C.E.’s founding team, Nathan led a national research and policy team at Families for Excellent Schools. A veteran strategic communications professional, Nathan began his career in New York City as a Senior Research Associate at Marathon Strategies, where he conducted opposition research, facilitated crisis management, and executed data-intensive analysis for a wide range of clients.
Nathan completed law school at Washington and Lee University and passed the New York State Bar Exam in 2013. Nathan also attended W&L as an undergraduate, obtaining his B.A. in Classics in 2010. He lives in New York City.
Back to TopKelly is an Engagements Director at P.A.C.E., where she manages advocacy campaigns, digital media, and fundraising for partnerships and engagements.
Having grown up in both New York and Vermont, Kelly became a NYC Teaching Fellow in 2013. She spent four challenging, rewarding, and formative years teaching special education, history & government, and managing special education programs at a public high school in the Bronx. After leaving the classroom in pursuit of more advocacy-oriented education work, Kelly spent two years in Growth Strategy at Families for Excellent Schools.
Kelly currently lives in Vermont where she enjoys running, yoga, and skiing.
Back to TopSean is P.A.C.E’s Creative Producer. He directs and creates media content across PACE’s campaigns, including video, photo, and graphic design.
Sean is experienced in brand development, having taken a number of brands from ideation to distribution through media content creation, full social media management & analysis, marketing consultation, and media campaign development.
Sean is from Brooklyn, New York and graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Film Studies. In his spare time, he enjoys watching documentary & psychological films, cooking tasty, but healthy, vegetarian meals, meditating, and writing poetry.
Back to TopJason is the Managing Director of Tactics of P.A.C.E Education Strategies. Jason works with P.A.C.E.'s partners to build programming for community organizing and leadership development, and to plan tactics ranging from large mobilizations to small meetings with local elected officials that achieve strategic goals. Prior to working at P.A.C.E, Jason spent eight years in multiple roles at Families for Excellent Schools (FES). Before joining FES, Jason worked as an educator in Richmond, CA.
Jason is from Manteca, CA and holds a B.A. in Political Science and History at the University of California, Berkeley. Jason currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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