MaryEllen McGuire

Related Programs:
Education Policy Program

MaryEllen McGuire directs the New America Foundation's Education Policy Program where she oversees the Federal Education Budget Project and Higher Ed Watch.Org. Prior to joining New America, Ms. McGuire was the senior education policy advisor to Senator Chris Dodd on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Majority Staff Director of the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families. During her tenure with Senator Dodd, Ms. McGuire oversaw the Senator's entire HELP Committee agenda, authored and negotiated numerous bills related to college affordability, played a significant role in highlighting the private loan scandal across committees on Capitol Hill, and wrote the No Child Left Behind Reform Act, the Standards to Provide Educational Achievement for Kids (SPEAK) Act, and several bills designed to increase opportunities for national service for Americans of all ages. In 2007, Ms. McGuire took leave from the Senate to serve as the policy director to the Chris Dodd for President Campaign where she oversaw and developed the campaign's domestic policy agenda.

Prior to her work on the Senate HELP Committee, Ms. McGuire worked on education and social policy issues for Senator Joe Biden, was the assistant director of research to former First Lady Hillary Clinton, and worked for the Connecticut General Assembly. She served as a Connecticut public school teacher for several years, a role which has subsequently informed all of her work in the education policy arena. In 2002, Ms. McGuire received her Ph.D. in politics and education from Columbia University and holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Connecticut. She has spent her entire career committed to equity and excellence in our public schools.

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