Ellie Klein

Ellie Klein is a program director with the AIR Equity Initiative. In this role, Ellie leads our Evidence and Demonstration Hub and related Educational Equity grant competitions in order to expand the creation and use of evidence on school integration. 

Klein has spent the last decade working to advance racial and gender equity through conducting research and advising senior leaders at a variety of organizations including state education agencies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Brookings Institution. 

At the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Klein translated research about the impact of COVID-related education disruptions on students of color to inform strategy decisions, and worked to integrate equitable evaluation techniques into grant-making practices. At GAO, Klein conducted data-driven evaluations of federal programs on topics including housing and education equity for Indigenous communities. She wrote public reports and testimonies, and presented recommendations to members of Congress and federal agency officials. Her findings were included in media outlets such as the Washington Post, PBS, and CNN. Klein began her career as an AmeriCorps member in the Federal Way Public Schools in Washington State.