Summary: Laura Speer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation on early reading proficiency in the United States. As associate director for policy reform and advocacy, Laura Speer is responsible for KIDS COUNT, a Casey Foundation initiative launched in 1990 to track the well-being of children at the national and state level. Speer oversees the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book and related reports. She also serves as liaison to a national network of state advocacy organizations that produce their own KIDS COUNT reports and promote data-based policies and communication strategies. Speer worked as a research analyst with the Rhode Island KIDS COUNT grantee before joining Casey in 2003. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s in public administration from New York University. For the latest in education reform news, check ChoiceMedia.TV. For free karma points, tell a friend about the Ed Reform Minute podcast.© 2013 Choice Media
