WestEd has announced that Dana Grayson is now directing the agency’s work preparing, recruiting, supporting, sustaining, and retaining the K–12 teacher workforce to ensure all students have equitable access to effective teachers. Grayson previously served as a Project Director at WestEd. WestEd is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research, development, and service agency that works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults.

As a Director, Grayson specializes in educator workforce, resource planning, and district and school improvement issues. She partners with states and districts to support them with data-driven decision-making and strategic planning to grow and strengthen their educator workforce. Grayson brings to the position more than 20 years of experience as a project leader and former teacher.

“Educators are the cornerstone of a high-quality education,” said Grayson. “In this new role, I’m excited to work with states to create enabling conditions for schools and districts to attract, support, and sustain the next generation of educators.”

Grayson has also led numerous federal- and state-level projects to strengthen educator workforces, including serving as a Deputy Director of the federal Center on Great Teachers and Leaders; supporting the state of California in improving affordability and access to high-quality, clinically rich teacher preparation pathways; and working with states and districts across the country to build and scale registered teacher apprenticeships.

“Dana comes to this role with a broad range of experience in education and first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to be a teacher—invaluable experience for WestEd,” said WestEd CEO Jannelle Kubinec. “As teachers are the single most important in-classroom factor affecting student learning, having high-quality teachers in each and every classroom is important to achieving education equity.”

Grayson began her career as a teacher and dean of students in New York City Public Schools and has a permanent K–6 teaching certification from New York State. She holds a master of arts in sociology of education from New York University, a master of science in teaching from Pace University, and a bachelor of arts in journalism from New York University.