Ellen Cushing
Ellen Cushing brings nearly two decades of experience supporting education leaders—from early childhood through postsecondary—in building integrated, cross-sector systems that are both evidence-generating and evidence-informed. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of policy implementation through system-level change and is characterized by a thoughtful, collaborative approach to addressing complex challenges.
As director of the Northeast Comprehensive Center, Cushing leads a multidisciplinary team of technical assistance and content experts in designing and executing strategic workstreams to drive educational improvement across the region. Her leadership advances initiatives focused on promoting evidence-based practices in adolescent literacy, aligning career and technical education (CTE) programs with labor market needs, and developing math pathways to support student success.
Cushing’s expertise lies at the intersection of education and workforce development, with a deep interest in CTE and work-based learning. She currently leads the Identifying and Scaling Higher Education in Prison (HEP) Programmatic Resources initiative, providing intensive technical assistance to a cohort of grantees working to refine and expand field-developed resources that address the most pressing needs of prison education programs.
Earlier in her career, Cushing served as deputy director of the College and Career Readiness and Success (CCRS) Center, where she led systems-building technical assistance efforts to strengthen college and career readiness for students nationwide. Her contributions helped shape several key national resources and conversations, including:
M.P.P.
George Mason University
B.A., Political Science
University of Massachusetts-Amherst