Background:
Carrie Hahnel is a senior associate partner at Bellwether in the Policy and Evaluation practice area.
Since joining the organization in 2022, she has led policy research and advising projects with advocacy organizations, foundations, research centers, and intermediary nonprofits. Carrie brings policy expertise in K-12 and higher education finance, accountability and data systems, college and career readiness, charter schools, English learners, community engagement, and other topic areas. Her research and commentary have been covered by CalMatters, The Dallas Express, EdSource, Education Week, The Los Angeles Times, PBS, the San Diego Union Tribune, and San Francisco Chronicle, among others.
Prior to joining Bellwether, Carrie worked as senior director of policy and strategy with The Opportunity Institute and served as an independent consultant to education nonprofits, including research, advocacy, and technical assistance organizations. She also served as deputy director for The Education Trust–West. During her nine-year tenure at the nonprofit, she led research and policy analysis to help advance California’s adoption of new state standards, a student-based funding formula, and a new accountability system. She previously served as director of research and evaluation for the KIPP Foundation, where she commissioned third-party studies of KIPP’s impact and advanced assessment and measurement practices across the national charter network. Carrie has also worked as an arts education advocate, and started her career as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer working to expand out-of-school time arts education opportunities in Riverside, California.
Carrie is a senior policy and research fellow with Policy Analysis for California Education and has chaired her local school district’s parcel tax oversight committee. She received a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She lives in Alameda, California and is mom to two public-school students.
Why I do this work:
It’s unconscionable that in a country with so much wealth and knowledge, we struggle to provide every child with a high-quality education and tolerate yawning gaps in opportunity and achievement. I do this work because I am committed to building a bright future for our young people, our country, and our planet — and that must begin with building a world-class educational system.
Experience at Bellwether
Policy Research and Analysis; Implementation Planning; Writing; Research; Foundations; Think Tanks; Advocacy Organizations
Sample clients:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, EdTrust-Midwest, Opportunity 180, Policy Analysis for California Education, Resource Equity Funders Collaborative, Stuart Foundation, Tennessee SCORE, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Walton Family Foundation
