As a Senior Program Manager for Next Education Workforce, Dr. Andrea LaRocca leads the Opportunity Now Grant, which is supporting school systems in Colorado to explore and implement team-based staffing models. Throughout her 18 years in public education, Andrea has been committed to supporting educators through meaningful professional development experiences, in service of making critical shifts in classrooms and the education system for our students. Andrea started her career as a high school English teacher, in Massachusetts and then abroad in London, England. She has since worked across the education sector - at nonprofits, in higher education, and in districts – and has deep experience in designing and leading systems of learning and professional learning strategy. Before joining ASU, Andrea served as the Senior Manager, Professional Learning at Denver Public Schools, where she led a change initiative to increase the quality and coherence of professional learning across the district.
Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College; a Master of Arts from New York University; and a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.