Laurie Kardos (Chief Strategy Officer)

Laurie has spent over two decades working to create and lead innovative and student-centered educational experiences. At School Empowerment Network, she brings extensive classroom teaching and school leadership experience, as well as a lifelong appreciation for young people and their capabilities.

In her prior work, Laurie has incubated school start-ups, supported innovative instructional practices among teachers, and fostered the development of instructional and school culture leaders. Prior to joining School Empowerment Network, Laurie served as Deputy Executive Director in the New York City Department of Education’s Office of New Schools. In this role, she collaborated with a talented team to recruit, select, and train leaders for over 100 new schools, and coached both aspiring and experienced school leaders on developing and launching new middle and high schools.

For over ten years, Laurie served as a school leader at two different schools in New York City. She has also worked as a leadership coach, department head, school designer, professional development coordinator, learning specialist, teacher mentor, and operations lead.

Laurie was fortunate to begin her career in education as a math teacher at a small, progressive middle and high school, where students—and their thinking and learning—were at the center and drove every decision. This experience continues to inspire her work as an educator and leader.

Laurie holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.