Alexandra Tilsley joined Reaching Higher in 2025 as the Director of Policy. In that role, she sets the organization's policy priorities and works to provide decisionmakers and the public with the research and analysis they need to advance policies that strengthen our public schools.

 

Alexandra grew up in Mont Vernon and Londonderry, and attended a mix of public and private schools. After graduating from the University of Southern California, she began her career with the NYC Leadership Academy, an organization supporting public school principals, before joining the Urban Institute, a DC-based social policy research organization. At Urban, Alexandra helped to launch the Center on Education Data and Policy and was part of the startup team for the DC Education Research Practice Partnership. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Impact and External Affairs, working across research, communications, and development to connect research to policy decisions and people's lives. 

 

Alexandra lives in Concord, and when she's not in the office, she can almost certainly be found in the woods, regardless of the season.