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Laura Bornfreund is a senior policy analyst for New America's Early Education Initiative. She examines early education (birth through grade 3) studies and policies and researches and writes original policy papers. She contributes to Early Ed Watch, the Early Education Initiative's blog, writing on a variety of education policy topics including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, federal education grant programs, teacher preparation, retention, and support, kindergarten, and early childhood assessment. Ms. Bornfreund authored the report "Getting in Sync: Revamping Licensing and Preparation for Teachers in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and the Early Grades," “Already Ahead: Top Contenders for the Early Learning Challenge, and co-authored "Many Missing Pieces: The Difficult Task of Linking Early Childhood Data and School-Based Data Systems."

Ms. Bornfreund is a contributor to the National Journal’s Education Experts blog for the Huffington Post. She has also written for Slate’sXX Factor. Ms. Bornfreund and her work have been cited by Education Week, The Orlando Sentinel, The Congressional Quarterly, Politifact, and on various respected early education blogs. She has presented at conferences for the Education Writer’s Association, the National Head Start Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Before joining New America, Ms. Bornfreund worked for the Forum for Education & Democracy as its Communications and Policy Advisor, where she coordinated the Rethink Learning Now Campaign partners, assisted with the development of policy recommendations, and contributed to the organization’s blog. Prior to that she was a Thomas B. Fordham Institute Education Policy Fellow at Common Core, conducting research for the report "Why We're Behind: What Top Nations Teach Their Students But We Don't."

Before moving to Washington, D.C., in 2008, she worked for the City of Orlando, helping to implement its Parramore Kidz Zone, an initiative modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone. Ms. Bornfreund began her career as a fourth grade teacher in Orlando, Fla. She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Central Florida.