Sharon Barrett

Public Impact, Education Consultants

Public Impact's mission is to improve education dramatically for all students, especially low-income students, students of color, and other students whose needs historically have not been well met. Public Impact's work is designed to contribute to dramatic improvements in the quality of education and related policy supports in the United States. We are a team of professionals from many backgrounds, including former teachers. We are researchers, thought leaders, policy experts, tool-builders, and on-the-ground consultants who work with leading education reformers. We are the founders of the national Opportunity Culture initiative, which extends the reach of excellent teachers and their teams to more students, for more pay, within regular budgets. Learn more at OpportunityCulture.org. We work on initiatives to: •Find, develop, retain, and expand the impact of great teachers and leaders vital to operating great schools; •Equip states and districts with tools to implement turnarounds in failing schools; •Evaluate, replicate, and expand the supply of high-quality charter schools; •Improve other areas of K-12 public education policy and management that serve as important levers for school improvement and related reforms. How? •Knowledge: Understanding what's known to inform action •Solutions: Devising solutions to the biggest challenges •Design: Helping leaders develop practical strategies and systems •Implementation: Helping leaders put ambitious ideas into practice •Evaluation: Gauging success & recommending next steps •Communication: Spreading ideas & knowledge through a variety of channels Our clients include private foundations, federal, state, and local policymakers, innovative districts, charter management organizations, child advocacy nonprofits, and other reform-oriented leaders.