About the lecture:
Arellano will provide an overview of Michigan's education data and landscape; what Michigan can learn from top-performing and high-growth states; and discuss what are key opportunities and challenges for state leaders.

From the speaker’s bio:
Amber Arellano is the founding executive director of The Education Trust-Midwest. Founded in 2010, today Ed Trust-Midwest is widely recognized as a leading voice for non-partisan data, original analysis and research, policy expertise and now a statewide coalition dedicated to making Michigan a top ten state for all groups of students. Under her leadership, Ed Trust-Midwest led the coalition and original policy research that led to the legislative passage and cross-sector development of Michigan’s first statewide educator support and evaluation system. ETM has led successful efforts to ensure Michigan implemented college- and career-ready standards, in collaboration with more than 140 organizations across the state. It also was the state’s first organization to call for quality standards and accountability for Michigan’s charter school authorizers. In partnership with the Steelcase Foundation, Arellano also founded the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. The CETL has brought proven best practices from leading education states to West Michigan, including an innovative new model for building and supporting teachers and principals to dramatically raise achievement in high-poverty schools. ETM is the Midwest division of the national Education Trust, which is among the nation’s most respected research and policy think-tanks on closing achievement gaps for students of color and low-income students in the U.S.

A first-generation college graduate, Arellano’s multi-sector career has been devoted to improving public education and opportunity for Americans of all backgrounds. Previously she worked at the National Poverty Center and served as a Rackham Fellow at the University of Michigan, Ford School of Public Policy, where she earned her Master’s in poverty and inequality policy. At the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Executive Office, she helped develop and execute cross-country public engagement campaigns. Before joining the policy sector, she earned accolades as a veteran journalist, covering education and race relations for the Detroit Free Press and later as a columnist for the Detroit News. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists named her Commentator of the Year for her “influential and crusading work on behalf of Michigan’s vulnerable students.” Arellano started her career as a high school teacher, and taught as an adjunct at Michigan State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s in secondary education. She serves on the board of the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation and the Michigan Economic Center’s Leadership Council.

Sponsored by: The University of Michigan Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP)
Co-Sponsored by: The University of Michigan Education Policy Initiative (EPI), University of Michigan School of Education

For more information visit www.closup.umich.edu or call 734-647-4091. Follow on Twitter @closup