Kristine Barker

Kristine Barker specializes in strategic planning and innovative solutions to remove barriers for students. With a background in education policy and experience at the school, district and state levels, she has a focused skill set in developing and executing on strategies to improve policy and practice in the education sector. Kristine is currently an independent consultant, working with education change-makers across the country to assess areas for improvement, design solutions, and create recommendations to improve systems and advance policy. Kristine served as the Executive Director of Portfolio Opportunities for the Louisiana Department of Education as the state's charter authorizing content expert for both local and state charter authorizing. She was responsible for designing and refining authorization processes, managed the statewide charter school request for applications processes, and developed professional development content for local charter authorizers throughout the state to improve quality authorizing through best practices and compliance with policy.

Previously, as the Director of Portfolio Innovation for NOLA Public Schools, Kristine developed innovative portfolio strategies to meet the needs of the New Orleans public school system that leverage data to drive policy and practice to ensure stability and long-term success of the district. She oversaw the charter application process from recruitment, application, and school opening processes, continually improving equity and transparency.