Tara Bartlett

Tara Bartlett is a PhD candidate in Arizona State University’s Educational Policy and Evaluation program. Her research focuses on three areas of democratic innovation within school communities: citizenship education, school democracy, and participatory governance -particularly through a student-centered approach. Tara’s research is driven by her experience and passion for integrating opportunities for youth and families to participate in school and district-based decision-making processes and policy creation and adoption.

Before pursuing a doctoral degree, Tara was a public school educator with 14 years of teaching experience in Arizona Title I middle schools. Through various education leadership roles, Tara has been integral in elevating district curriculum and statewide standards initiatives and facilitating professional development opportunities for fellow educators. These experiences, coupled with the observed outcomes of civic action and student voice within the classroom, led Tara to reimagine how K12 schools can better equip youth with the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices to become political and civic changemakers within their own communities for the long term.

Additionally, Tara has experience working on both small and large-scale civic education projects in Arizona, across the US, and internationally. In Arizona, Tara serves as Co-Director of the Arizona Civic Coalition and has been integral to the expansion and adoption of the proven practices of civic education in Arizona schools. At both the state and regional U.S. levels, Tara coordinates and facilitates several K12 civic learning programs like Project Citizen, Kids Voting, and We the People. Nationally, Tara has worked on several civic research projects, including the Educating for American Democracy project and the Project Citizen Research Program. Internationally, Tara continues to facilitate cross-cultural learning opportunities on citizenship education, public pedagogy, and civic engagement for the U.S. State Department's Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative (YSEALI), the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), and the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Born and raised in Arizona, Tara is dedicated to investing in Arizona’s future. Outside of volunteering for several local K12 education organizations and serving as her precinct’s committee person, Tara enjoys spending time exploring all Arizona has to offer, including hiking, biking, and eating. She is a self-dubbed localist and a strong supporter of local businesses, events, and restaurants -ask her what some of her favorites are! Currently, Tara lives in South Phoenix with her partner and their three fur kiddos: Thor, Sucia, and Pata.