Stacey Pelika has been the director of research at the National Education Association since 2012. She is a passionate advocate for public schools and leads a team that conducts quantitative and qualitative research to inform NEA strategy and lift up educators’ voices and experiences. Prior to joining NEA, she was director of research at the Children’s Defense Fund and assistant professor of government at the College of William & Mary. Stacey holds an A.M. in education from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She lives in Washington, DC, and in her spare time enjoys travel (when there isn’t a pandemic) and volunteering with her dog, Pablo (also when there isn’t a pandemic).