Natalie Gray

About Natalie

Growing up as a national park ranger's daughter, I was raised in our nation's most beautiful places ... and attended some of our country’s most under-resourced schools. As I moved through high school in a small West Texas town, I became increasingly aware of this. I was taught to type and take shorthand, and our school was visited by every division of the military, a host of trade schools, and never a single college. When I got to The University of Texas at Austin, I felt acutely the gap between what I'd learned in high school and what my friends from more affluent communities had learned. That (sometimes painful!) realization sparked my interest in education and, in particular, educational equity.

After completing a Master’s Degree at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, I was intent on getting into the classroom. I taught 5th grade at an independent school for three years. What I observed there in terms of how more privileged children are educated was staggering. What I learned fueled my passion for helping change the realities that make the gap so wide between what "school" means to kids in the places I grew up vs. what it means for kids with more resources.

As a fifth grade teacher, I discovered Summerbridge (now the Breakthrough Collaborative) and went on to help launch sites in Cincinnati and Fort Worth; to lead a site in Manchester, NH for seven years; to serve as a National Program Officer for the Breakthrough Collaborative for two years; and, ultimately, to help open an innovation on the model at my own alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin. I worked at what is now Breakthrough Central Texas until 2008 when I joined Teach For America's Human Assets team. At Teach For America, I designed and led Executive Director professional development and went on to serve as Vice President of Staff Learning and Development, leading a large, dispersed team to deliver staff training on topics including management, leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.

As an independent contractor, it has been thrilling to use the skills I’ve developed throughout my career to continue working toward educational equity alongside schools and organizations that share my commitment. I have been fortunate to work with several organizations to provide customized support that increases their impact. Whether designing or facilitating training, coaching a new manager, supporting collaboration across organizations, or writing curriculum or case studies, my wide-ranging experience and skillset lets me add value where it’s needed most.