Education Policies Across the States: What's at Stake in the 2024 Election

Jonathan Plucker is a Professor of Education and Faculty Lead for the Master of Science in Education Policy program at the Johns Hopkins School of Education. He previously served as the Julian C. Stanley Endowed Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins, the Raymond Neag Endowed Professor of Education at the University of Connecticut, and Professor of Educational Psychology and Cognitive Science at Indiana University. At Indiana, he also served as Associate Vice Provost for Social Science Research and Director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy.

His research examines education policy, talent development, and creativity. Recent books include the 2nd edition of Creativity and Innovation, 3rd edition of Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education with Carolyn Callahan, and Excellence Gaps in Education with Scott Peters. He is an APA, APS, AERA, and AAAS Fellow, and a recipient of the Arnheim Award for Outstanding Achievement from APA. He graduated with a B.S. in chemistry education and M.A. in educational psychology from the University of Connecticut. A former elementary school science teacher in New York, he received his Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Virginia. He has worked on education policy and evaluation projects in all 50 states and several other countries, and he is especially interested in helping craft research-based state education policies.

Sabrina Solares-Hand is a Senior Managing Director for ILO Group. Her skills in process improvement and project management stem from a range of professional experiences centered around optimizing systems and operationalizing policy. Her K-12 consulting experience centers around school transformation, secondary redesign, industry-aligned education, education talent pathways, ed tech, and capital improvement. Prior to joining ILO Group, Sabrina served as the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Adviser to the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. There she oversaw cross-functional teams working to streamline equitable access to services. Her diverse portfolio included capital improvement, minority and women business enterprise support, GIS mapping, broadband, and cybersecurity initiatives, to name a few. Before her tenure in government, Sabrina worked in External Affairs at Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy, where she supported communications and development work. Sabrina is a first-generation college graduate holding a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University and a Masters in Education Policy from Johns Hopkins University. Sabrina is a life-long resident of Rhode Island where her son attends public school.

Jenny Murnane Butcher is the Program Officer at the Montana Board of Public Education, supporting the Board in managing the state's brand new public charter school program. Previously, she worked as Deputy Director for Montanans Organized for Education, a grassroots nonprofit connecting parents and community members with the education policy process. She began her career as a Title 1 and 5th grade teacher in East Helena, Montana. She graduated from the Hopkins Education Policy Master's Program this August.