Sarah Sugarman

Sarah (she/her) believes in the power of learning communities that honor educators’ professionalism, where colleagues supportively challenge each other to hone their practice in service of equitable outcomes for students. As Senior Director, she ensures organizational coherence between Lead by Learning’s partnership programs and its visibility and community engagement initiatives. She also oversees the organization’s staff development and its evaluation and quality assurance programs, ensuring that Lead by Learning’s partnerships deliver on our promise to nourish both root and shoot system health. Previously, Sarah taught second and third grade in East Oakland and then at the Mills College Children’s School. Throughout her teaching career she led colleagues in routine cycles of inquiry to examine student work and improve instruction. She also mentored pre-service teachers and participated in teacher-led inquiry projects, including collaborations with the Mills College Lesson Study Group and a partnership with Japanese math educators from Global Education Resources. Sarah received her B.A. in Urban Studies from Brown University and her M.A. in Education from Mills College. Her master’s research, supported by Lead by Learning, focused on how metacognitive self-study can support ethical teaching in historically underserved communities.