Watershed Advisors

Educators shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to meet grant requirements *and* deliver outcomes for kids — those two goals should be in alignment, and states have the power to align them. This week, Kunjan Narechania shares how state education leaders can alleviate some of the burden on district superintendents.

We're starting this week off strong by welcoming Elise Alexander to our team ?? Elise is passionate about helping communities build systems that ensure all children have an equal opportunity to succeed. She serves as a Senior Analyst at Watershed Advisors. Elise’s career has been shaped by her dedication to advancing learning across diverse age groups and geographies. As a Govern for America Fellow with the Louisiana Department of Education, Elise worked on innovative policies to improve outcomes for students with disabilities during the onset of COVID-19. Her interest in equitable systems then led her to Germany as a U.S. State Department Fellow, where she established a consulting practice focused on driving systems change. Elise has advised leading American mayors on strategic educational leadership, managed sustainability strategy for community-led vocational training programs across Appalachia, and facilitated impact evaluation for community-led educational projects in Asia and Africa. Most recently, Elise worked as a Senior Analyst for KONU, where she designed and facilitated adaptive leadership programs for adult learners in universities, NGOs, and private sector organizations across the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. This work deepened her understanding of the complexities of advancing systems change across diverse cultural and organizational contexts. Elise earned her B.A. in Sociology from Harvard College with a minor in Educational Studies. Currently based in Washington, D.C., Elise stays true to her Colorado roots by hiking the highest mountains she can find wherever she travels.

What’s next in K-12 education? What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing district administrators? How is district spending changing? Watershed's Kelli Calhoun, Julia Hahn and Stacey Labit-Moorehead are in Denver today learning more about the trends shaping the products and services market at EdWeek Market Brief's #MarketBriefSummit. #WeAreWatershed

Watershed's Kunjan Narechania, Tim Shade, Anna 'AJ' Norman, and Jessica Baghian are on the ground at ExcelinEd's National Summit on Education this week connecting with friends and partners, old and new,?and discussing how we can continue to work together to transform education and ensure success for every child. #WeAreWatershed #EIE24

We’re back after our election-week hiatus. I know it’s hard for a lot of us to think about much else, but however you feel about last week's results, the work of educating our students goes on. The bulk of that work will—and was always going to—take place at the state level. And states are talking about math. This week, Kunjan shares what states should focus on to improve math outcomes for kids (hint: it’s not copying and pasting science of reading legislation).

Last week, the Watershed team gathered in Nashville for our fall Staff Advance. We spent a wonderful few days sharing knowledge and ideas, visiting local schools to inform our work, and strengthening our team culture through collaborative sessions and games. Here are a few snapshots from our time in Music City! #WeAreWatershed

Now *that* is spooky! ?? ?? What's in your education haunted house? Tell us in the comments!

#Tutoring works, and we know it can scale. Excited to see rigorous results like these from Accelerate and their partners, building the evidence base on what it takes to advance student learning. The end of #ESSER doesn't have to mean the end of tutoring—results like these show why we must continue pushing for scalable solutions like high-dosage tutoring to meet students' needs.

Casting a ballot is one of our most fundamental rights and responsibilities as Americans, so we are always interested to see what schools, districts, and states are doing to foster civic engagement. Tennessee, for example, holds its own student mock election administered by the Secretary of State’s office just like the real deal. Where else are you seeing interesting new ideas in civic education?

Join us in welcoming Caroline Ormeo, our new business administrator, to the Watershed team! ?? Before joining Watershed, Caroline managed logistics and optimized warehouse operations at Momni Boutique, streamlining processes to increase efficiency. As Communications & Experience Director at Elevate Life Inc., she oversaw marketing campaigns and event coordination for large-scale audiences. She also worked as a freelance graphic designer, delivering creative solutions for a variety of clients. Caroline excels in organizing teams, improving workflows, and ensuring the timely execution of projects. She thrives in roles that require strategic planning and operational oversight. Caroline lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband Ethan and two cats Christina Yang and Meredith Grey. In her free time, she enjoys reading by the pool, gardening, and shopping. #WeAreWatershed