Carrie Gillispie, Ed.D.
Senior P-12 Research Associate
As a senior associate on the P-12 Research team, Carrie Gillispie conducts quantitative and qualitative analyses and develops Ed Trust’s recommendations for national, state, and local policy and practice related to equity in early childhood education.
Prior to joining Ed Trust, Carrie was an instructor and graduate assistant at The George Washington University, a contractor for the U.S. Department of Education, a school psychology trainee in North Carolina and Massachusetts, an assistant special education teacher in Maryland and Hawaii, and a research trainee at the National Institute of Mental Health.
A native of the DC area, Carrie holds a doctorate in Special Education and Disability Studies from The George Washington University, a master’s degree in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Bates College.
Superpower
I am a student of Washington Improv Theater, and improv is one of the most useful superpowers for my everyday life. I recommend it to everyone!
Weakness
Chocolate and burritos
What are people most surprised to learn about you?
I’m a high school musical theater coach every spring. It gives me a chance to connect with students (and an excuse to dance and sing show tunes and remember what it’s like to be a teenager). I also coordinate a sensory-friendly performance of the musical every year, which gives me the opportunity to teach the students about disabilities, and supports the students in creating a more inclusive theater experience (which they always knock out of the park!)
What drew you to education?
School is one of the only places all children in the U.S. go. It gives us our best shot at providing kids with resources and skills they need and deserve. I’m continually interested in how we can leverage that opportunity to guide as many children as possible into happy, healthy adulthoods.
