Melissa Lazarín

K-12 Education Program Analyst

Melissa Lazarín is Senior Advisor for K-12 Policy at the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, where she works on education issues related to immigrant children and English Learners. Her areas of expertise include education advocacy and policy development; testing, standards, and accountability; school improvement, including high school reform and learning time; and education issues facing English Learners, Latinos, and immigrants. Previously, Ms. Lazarín was Program Director at the National Governors Association, where she oversaw issues related to educational equity. She also served in a variety of roles at the Center for American Progress. As Senior Advisor there, she authored reports on testing and standards, and helped oversee the education team’s federal policy agenda and launch the organization’s early childhood work as Managing Director of K-12 education policy.

Her previous roles include Director of Education Policy at First Focus, a national children’s advocacy organization, and Associate Director of Education Policy at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza). She began her policy career with Social Policy Research Associates, where she evaluated workforce development programs and race relations in high schools.

Ms. Lazarín holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas

Panel Information

Wednesday, February 17

2:05 PM EST

Education in the Time of COVID-19

COVID 19 has had a debilitating impact on our students’ education, further widening the achievement gaps between students of color and their counterparts. In this session, we will discuss the action we need from the Biden administration and our Congressional leaders to immediately address these gaps.