Dr. Kelly Kovacic Duran

In her role at Education First, Dr. Duran leads a portfolio of work centered on strategic staffing and educator pipelines. She brings extensive experience and expertise in teacher preparation and support; college and career readiness; high-quality school growth; and innovative school governance models. Before joining Education First, Duran was managing director of educator initiatives at the Commit Partnership in Dallas, where she launched and led the Best in Class collective impact initiative. Best in Class comprises more than 50 partner organizations that focus on recruiting, supporting, and retaining excellent and diverse teachers and school leaders across the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Previously, Duran served as executive director of portfolio management at Denver Public Schools, where her department was responsible for the opening and placement of new schools, overseeing the district’s innovation and charter schools, and launching the district’s first innovation zone.