Ann Duffy advises state and district leaders to design and implement initiatives that improve student success. She is an expert in P20 transitions and systems, educator development, social and emotional learning and state education advocacy. Ann has worked with state education leaders and advocates through the Walton Innovative Assessment Project, Family Math Roadmap Implementation and Oregon Community College Association’s Guided Pathways, and with district leaders through the Wallace Foundation’s Partnership for Social Emotional Learning and Principal Pipeline Initiative and NoVo’s Collaborating Districts Initiative.
After earning her teaching certificate at Harvard, Ann joined the staff of Teach For America, working in the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana, where many students did not have the support and resources they needed to be successful. That experience inspired her to commit to improving public education, first as a community organizer with Parents for Public Schools in Mississippi and later as an executive in state education agencies in Massachusetts and Georgia. Prior to joining Education First, Ann also ventured abroad and served as the PreK-12 Policy Director for the Abu Dhabi Education Council.
Ann holds a doctorate in education policy from the University of Georgia and a Master’s in Business Administration from Millsaps College. She enjoys the thrill of parenting adults in Roswell, GA, the adventure of geocaching worldwide and the pleasure of baking (and eating) pie.
