Heather Peske

Heather Peske is the national director of programs at Teach Plus. She has spent her career committed to transforming education in the United States, especially for low-income and minority students. Previously, Heather served as the director of teacher quality at the Education Trust, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to raising standards and closing achievement gaps in education. At Education Trust, Heather managed research, data, and policy analysis; wrote nationally released reports on teachers; conducted presentations across the country; and developed federal and state policy to ensure access to effective teachers.

Heather earned her master's degree and doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. There, she was a founding member of the "Project on the Next Generation of Teachers," a research collaboration devoted to studying new teachers. Heather is a co-author of the award-winning book, Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools, as well as reports and articles on alternative certification programs, new teachers' experiences, and conceptions of career. She has also worked as a school director at Teach for America's Summer Institute, managing the preparation of several hundred new teachers. Heather launched her career in education as an elementary teacher and Teach for America corps member in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Heather graduated from Kenyon College with magna cum laude honors, earning a bachelor's degree in religion and South Asian studies.