Melissa Tooley

Melissa Tooley is an experienced professional in education policy and advocacy, currently serving as the Director of PreK-12 Educator Quality for the Education Policy Program at New America since October 2013. Previously, Tooley worked as a Teacher Quality Data & Policy Analyst at Education Trust, and held roles such as Program Evaluation Intern at Chicago Public Schools and Mobility & Opportunity Intern at the White House Domestic Policy Council. Early career experiences include serving as Policy Associate at The Institute for College Access and Success, Director of Research & Analytics at Donordigital, and Director of Advocacy & Government Relations at the Epilepsy Foundation of New York City. Tooley began the career as an Account Manager at BASES, the Nielsen Company, after working as a Special Education Paraprofessional. Academic qualifications include a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Drew University.