Education Policy Program External Advisory Board

Drexel University School of Education

Circe Stumbo, President, West Wind Education Policy

	Todd Brown, EdD Adjunct Instructor About Me Dr. Todd Brown has worked as an adjunct instructor in the Drexel School of Education's Education Policy program. Prior to earning his EdD from Drexel in 2015, Dr. Brown earned his M.A. in Education from LaSalle University and B.A. degrees in Economics and Modern Languages from Texas A&M University. Dr. Brown's professional focus is supporting special education programs, both as a teacher and as an administrator. Dr. Brown is also closely involved with his school district's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts by advocating for cultural fairness in the identification of students for special education and gifted programming. Dr. Brown has developed programs for students with emotional disturbance and autism, and he has led efforts to provide mental and behavioral health services to students in need. Professional Experience 2011-Present: Special Education Supervisor, Souderton Area School District, Souderton, PA 1997-2011: Special Education Teacher and Teacher Leader, Rose Tree Media School District, Media, PA Research Interests Education Policy, including funding, equity, and inclusive practices Serving historically-marginalized students, including students of color, students with disabilities, English learners, and LGBTQ+ students Evidence-based educational practices for students with disabilities Publications Dissertation: How Lesbian and Gay K-12 Public School Administrators Transform Themselves into Out, Proud School Leaders
	Seth Jacobson, PhD Adjunct Instructor About Me Seth Jacobson, Ph.D. currently serves as Chief Community Engagement Officer and Senior Director of the Center for Civic Engagement & Social Impact (CCESI) at West Chester University. In these roles, he works to equip students within and beyond the university with knowledge and skills necessary for effective participation in democratic life as agents of positive social change. Before joining WCU in 2020, Dr. Jacobson worked for Governor Tom Wolf’s administration in Pennsylvania as a Special Advisor for Postsecondary and Higher Education, and later as the Deputy Director of Policy for the state department of education. A scholar-practitioner, Dr. Jacobson’s career has been centered around the intersections of education, public service, and social equity. From his national service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA supporting college access initiatives in under-resourced public high schools – to managing a comprehensive out-of-school program for middle school students, their families, and teachers in West Philadelphia, Dr. Jacobson has worked closely with diverse groups and communities in a wide variety of educational contexts. Dr. Jacobson’s scholarship employs organizational theory and sociological perspectives to explore how equity-driven change is advanced within and through schools and universities. More specifically, his work examines the role and experiences of marginalized actors in navigating policy and organizational change. His research has been presented both nationally and internationally and published in peer-reviewed journals such as Human Resource Development Review; New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resources; and the European Journal of Training & Development. A first-generation college graduate from West Philadelphia, Dr. Jacobson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. He earned a Master’s degree in Global and International Education and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy, both from Drexel University. Most recently, Dr. Jacobson completed the Pennsylvania Education Policy Fellowship Program through the Education Policy & Leadership Center.
	Annalee Kelly, Ed.M. Doctoral Student About Me Annalee Kelly, Ed.M., a Senior Survey Researcher at Mathematica in Princeton, NJ, has expertise in survey leadership and survey design in the early care and education policy area. She has extensive experience in data collection management including recruiting sites, designing and testing survey instruments (e.g., child assessments, computer-assisted telephone interviews, cognitive interviews, focus group protocols), training field and telephone data collection staff, conducting preschool classroom observations, and conducting quality assurance site visits. She was a consultant to faculty members in the Department of Sociology at Montclair State University, advising on the design of the school’s Graduate Certificate in Data Collection Management as well as their Master of Arts in Social Research degree program. Professional Experience With almost 20 years of research experience, Ms. Kelly is responsible for directing large-scale studies involving complex data collection efforts that provide valuable information on children’s early development and school readiness. Hobbies Outside of professional work, Ms. Kelly volunteered as a co-chair of the Trenton, NJ branch of ACTSO (Afro-Academic Cultural Technological Scientific Olympics) for 8 years. ACTSO is a yearlong mentoring and enrichment program for high school students that culminates in a local and national competition (olympics) where students compete for awards and prizes. ACT-SO, often referred to as the "Olympics of the Mind", seeks to promote positive self-esteem, academic and artistic excellence, and positive interactions between our youth and the adult professional community.
	Angela Minnici, PhD Adjunct Instructor About Me Angela Minnici is the Senior Director of Institutional Development and Strategy at WestEd. She provides strategic leadership for WestEd's K-16 education growth strategies including external partnerships. Dr. Minnici began her career as a public school teacher and has over two decades of experience working with federal agencies, states, districts and schools to improve the educator workforce and enhance academic, social and emotional outcomes for students. Prior to joining WestEd, Dr. Minnici was the Vice President of Policy, Practice, and Systems Change at the American Institutes for Research.
	Swetal Sindhvad Adjunct Instructor About Me Swetal Sindhvad is former Education Specialist for Asian Development Bank (ADB). During her tenure at ADB, she led the development, management and evaluation of sovereign lending projects in the education and training sector for governments in Southeast Asia. Currently, she is founding Executive Director of i3Development leading education research and capacity development initiatives in emerging economies of Asia. Her research focuses on educational governance, school management and public private partnerships in education. She also has served as Adjunct Professor in Drexel University’s School of Education, where she has taught courses in education policy analysis and comparative higher education, and at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai, UAE where she teaches public sector innovation and political economy of science and technology policy.
	Dyan Smiley Adjunct Instructor About Me Dyan Smiley is an associate director in the Educational Issues Department at the American Federation of Teachers. Her current work is in teacher diversity, preparation and licensure, recruitment, retention, and career pathways. Before coming to the AFT, Dyan was an elementary school teacher, literacy coach, and an English Language Arts Program Director for Boston Public Schools where she supervised 24 literacy coaches, wrote supplemental language arts curriculum and conducted school performance evaluations as part of the Massachusetts Department of Education's School Improvement Team. As an undergraduate and graduate lecturer in education for over ten years, Dyan taught at Boston College, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Most recently, she was a Master Educator for the Office of the Chancellor for D.C. Public Schools where she aided in the design of the Teaching and Learning Framework and conducted classroom observations. She has a background in Literacy and Education Administration.
	Elaine Weiss Adjunct Instructor About Me Elaine Weiss is the Policy Director at the National Academy of Social Insurance, an EPI research associate, and the former National Coordinator of the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education. Dr. Weiss’s research interests include early childhood education, social and emotional learning, incorporating community voice in school improvement, and policies that advance racial and social justice. She authored case studies of diverse communities that employ integrated student supports to advance whole-child education, which became the basis for Broader, Bolder, Better: How Schools and Communities Help Students Overcome the Disadvantages of Poverty, co-authored with Paul Reville (Harvard Education Press, June 2019). She has a B.A. and B.S. from the University of Maryland College Park, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the George Washington University Trachtenberg School.