Laura Bornfreud

Laura Bornfreund is the author of Rediscovering Kindergarten: Embracing Play & Joy in Learning, published by Gryphon House in June 2026. She began as a fourth-grade teacher in a Florida public school. After four years, she sought opportunities to work with the broader community of children and families and spent 13 years working in Washington, DC, much of that time at New America, where you served as director of Early & Elementary Education Policy for nearly seven years and led the transforming kindergarten work. Her kindergarten-related work can be found here.

During, Laura’s time at New America Getting in Sync: Revamping Licensing and Preparation for Teachers in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and the Early Grades and was lead author of A Toolkit for Effective and Supportive Transitions for Children, Families, and Educators, Supporting Early Learning in America: Policies for a New Decade, From Crawling to Walking: Ranking States on Birth–3rd Grade Policies that Support Strong Readers, and Beyond Subprime Learning: Accelerating Progress in Early Education.

Laura’s work has been cited in the seminal 2015 Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth through Third Grade consensus study by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. Laura has written for, or her work has been referenced in, national outlets and education publications, including The Atlantic, Chalkbeat, CNN, Education Week, Hechinger Report, NPR, Pacific Standard, the Washington Monthly, Phi Delta Kappan, Slate, and the Washington Post.

Before joining New America, Laura worked with several policy organizations in Washington, DC, including the Institute for Educational Leadership, The Forum for Education and Democracy, and Common Core (now Great Minds). Previously, Laura worked for the City of Orlando, FL, helping to implement its Parramore Kidz Zone, an initiative modeled on the Harlem Children's Zone.

In 2023, Laura was drawn back to working in schools to ensure that all students have opportunities to achieve at high levels and to build a love of learning. She served as a reading coach in a Florida elementary school, working with teachers and students and serving on the school leadership team.

Laura stays connected to education policy, continuing as a Senior Fellow at New America, as the early learning pedagogy lead at the National Center for Early Learning Success, and consulting for other educational organizations.

Laura graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in elementary education, a Master of Public Administration (MPA), and an Educational Leadership certification. Go Knights! She lives with her husband and two daughters in Florida.