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Dr. Kara Stern has seen school from just about every angle: high school English teacher, middle school principal, fellowship director for math and science teachers across New York City, and head of school at a rural N-12 school. That breadth is what she brings to her work at SchoolStatus, where she writes, speaks, and challenges educators to build the kinds of school communities where every student thrives. She holds a Master’s in Education Leadership from Teachers College and a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning from NYU.

Dr. Joy Smithson is a Data Scientist at SchoolStatus, where she works with districts all over the country to help educators use data to inform decisions and support student success. Dr. Smithson sees her role as a dual mission: understanding educators’ pressing research questions, and translating vast datasets into actionable insights to address those queries. Dr. Smithson leverages her expertise in analyzing, interpreting, summarizing, visualizing, and wrangling data to support educators and create better outcomes for students.

Dr. Michelle Gough Fry, J.D., Ph.D., LL.M., combines her expertise as an attorney, civil rights advocate, and educational policy scholar as the VP of Business Operations and Head of Legal at SchoolStatus. Dr. Fry’s career includes leadership roles as Agency Head at South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, Director of Test Security at ACT, Head of Legal at Ellevation Education, and Chief Legal and Assessment Officer at Project Lead the Way. She previously served as General Counsel for the Indiana Charter School Board, State Board of Education, and Department of Education. Her award-winning research on education policy has been cited in prestigious journals, including Harvard and New York University, and she frequently speaks at national conferences on education policy, data privacy, and ethics.

Nef is a former educator who brings that experience to her work at SchoolStatus. She’s passionate about helping educators use data and communication to improve educational outcomes. At SchoolStatus, Nef partners with districts to share practical insights and stories about what works in schools today.