As a Research Associate on the Assessment for Learning team, Gabriela Mottesi supports the effectiveness and efficiency of clients via research, development, and technical assistance in the areas including, but not limited to data practices, research design, data analysis, stakeholder engagement, community engagement, and process facilitation.
Mottesi’s areas of interest are special education, multilingual learners, educator recruitment and retention, and Pre-K-12 education policy. Her work is fueled by her passion for equity, fostering student agency in the classroom, and systemic change within education systems.
Prior to joining WestEd, Mottesi worked as a special education teacher with Denver Public Schools where she primarily worked with students classified as English Language Learners. Motessi holds a MA degree in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies (POLS) from Stanford University. She worked at the Stanford Language to Literacy Lab conducting qualitative and quantitative research, as well as the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) as a policy analyst. She holds a BA from Vanderbilt University where she studied political science, sociology, and Spanish.