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I'm so pleased to announce Rachel Metz as DC Action's Research and Data Manager. In this role, Rachel works to collect, analyze, and share data that can help advocates understand and address issues facing DC's kids and youth, particularly kids and youth of color. She produces the DC KIDS COUNT suite of publications and online data center, DC Action’s interactive data tools, as well as translating the national KIDS COUNT press releases, annual reports, and other publications into the DC context.
As an undergraduate, Rachel performed demographic and policy research at the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network for its State of the States report. After completing her undergraduate degree at the College of William and Mary, she worked with Illinois Action for Children to research barriers to accessing and delivering quality early childhood care and education and to help providers and programs connect with resources for improvement. This experience inspired her to bolster her research skills by pursuing a Master’s degree at Ben Gurion University, after which she spent time in the classroom as a substitute teacher at a Navajo Nation school.
Since then she has continued to build her data and policy skills. She led and supervised rigorous quality assurance checks of paper and online student, teacher, school, and district reports in the Assessment Division at American Institutes for Research. And most recently, at The Education Trust she researched, analyzed, and interpreted key teacher and other education data, with a focus on understanding patterns of access to strong, well-supported teachers for low-income students and students of color.
Rachel is excited to bring her experience with data, research, and policy to help raise awareness and advocate to dismantle structural barriers that stand in the way of all young people reaching their full potential.
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To get to know Rachel a bit better, we asked her a few fun questions...
What's your favorite DC spot?
The Aquatic Gardens (Kenilworth Park) are pretty spectacular in the summer.
What's your favorite genre of music to work to?
For something where I have to focus, I prefer quiet, but when churning through something repetitive anything with a strong beat, ranging from Garbage to Tupac to The Shondes.
As a child, what did you say you were going to be when you grew up?
A cat.
What's your favorite app?
GoogleMaps, both because of the bus/train info. and because my sense of direction....leaves something to be desired.
Here's the clincher...food cuisine you just can't do without?
If we're talking an overall cuisine, then Korean food is great. There are also specific foods I missed when living abroad, the range of which is pretty broad: kimchee, but also American cheese, kale, Wendy's frosties, and limes.
Help us give Rachel Metz a warm welcome. We're so excited to have her onboard!
January 28, 2020