Tara advises education leaders on curriculum and instruction, professional learning and assessment strategy to help systems build coherent instructional ecosystems that improve outcomes for all students. Her commitment to this work is rooted in a deep belief that high-quality and inclusive education can open doors of opportunity, as it did for her parents, first-generation college graduates who became public school teachers.

Tara joins Education First after more than two decades working in leadership roles across the education sector. At Education First, she leads projects focused on academic and assessment strategy,  artificial intelligence, product development, and strategic planning. Her recent clients include the Maryland Department of Education, Indiana Department of Education, Equal Opportunity Schools, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Tara began her career in the classroom, an experience that continues to shape her work as an instructional coach, leadership coach and nonprofit executive. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Pre-AP Programs at College Board, where she led the design and implementation of professional learning products and strategies that supported more than two million students nationwide. Previously, she held leadership roles at The Achievement Network (ANet), where she helped create the organization’s network learning model and supported its first expansion outside of Massachusetts. She was also a teacher leader in Texas in both Houston ISD and YES Prep Charter Schools.

Tara earned a master’s degree in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she was awarded the Urban Scholars Fellowship. She earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and psychology from the University of Florida and resides in Brooklyn.