Michelle Renée Valladares

Michelle Renée Valladares serves as Associate Director of the National Education Policy Center and Faculty Affiliate at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education. She leads and partners in projects aimed at increasing educational opportunities for all students, including serving as CO-PI of the Research Hub for Youth Organizing and the Price of Opportunity Project. Valladares acts as the media and policymaker contact for NEPC and is a member of the Schools of Opportunity project leadership.

Dr. Valladares holds a PhD in education from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her professional journey includes:

• Associate Director and Assistant Clinical Professor at Brown University's Annenberg Institute for School Reform
• Postdoctoral fellow at UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access
• Legislative assistant to then Congressman Tom Udall
• Board member of Student Voice
• Active participant in the Partnership for the Future of Learning

Dr. Valladares's research focuses on creating more equitable education systems through multiple pathways. She conducts original research on indicator systems that measure educational quality and equity, examines effective models of youth and adult education organizing, explores meaningful approaches to parent and family engagement, and investigates school turnaround strategies that prioritize democratic processes and educational justice. Her work on the Price of Opportunity Project analyzes school finance systems and advocates for adequate and equitable funding for all students. Through the Research Hub for Youth Organizing, she supports youth-led education reform efforts and documents how young people can effectively shape education policy. Her bilingual education work with the Caminos de Bilinguismo partnership demonstrates her commitment to linguistic diversity and culturally responsive education.

Analysis of Dr. Valladares's publication record reveals a consistent focus on educational equity and policy implementation. Her work spans school finance analysis, community school models, educational indicator systems, and youth organizing for education reform. A notable trend is her emphasis on practical, evidence-based approaches to implementing federal and state education policies like ESSA. Her research increasingly incorporates community-based and participatory methodologies, recognizing the importance of centering student, family, and community voices in education decision-making. Recent publications show expanded focus on healing-centered approaches to education and designing school systems that support holistic student well-being.

Dr. Valladares actively supervises research practice partnerships, including a study of youth organizing and development in California and a partnership with the Cuba Independent School District in New Mexico. Her leadership extends to managing project teams and fostering collaborations between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the provided texts, her role as CO-PI on multiple projects suggests successful grant acquisition and management.

Through her leadership of the Research Hub for Youth Organizing and the Price of Opportunity Project, Dr. Valladares oversees research teams focused on education equity. Her work with the Caminos de Bilinguismo partnership demonstrates her commitment to creating collaborative spaces where researchers, educators, and community members work together to advance bilingual education. These teams exemplify her approach to research as a collaborative, community-engaged process rather than isolated academic work.