Allison Comport
(She/Her)
Pre-Doctoral Intern
Allison brings over ten years of experience working in public administration, policy, and national training and technical assistance. Allison worked as an Educational Specialist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, supporting 4,000 members of the early care and education workforce on their professional pathways and credentialing. As State of Rhode Island CCDBG Co-Administrator and interim Head Start Collaboration Director. As subsidy administrator, Allison served more than 10,000 children, managed $95 million in funding, and served over 900 providers. As a state Early Learning Specialist for the State of Rhode Island, Allison served as a key architect on the state of Rhode Island’s State Pre-K program, managing at the time one of only two programs in the nation which received all 10 National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) benchmarks. In addition, she managed the design and launch of numerous comprehensive learning and development initiative for educators and families.
Allison brings a depth of experience having worked on numerous early care and education systems change initiatives, having supported Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, Preschool Development Grant 3-5, Preschool Development Grant B-5 initiatives, and COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts. Throughout these initiatives, Allison worked on the design and development of workforce knowledge and competencies, a redesign of the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), early learning standards for children, the design of the workforce registry, the design of an apprenticeship program, and numerous professional development and professional preparation and workforce compensation initiatives for the workforce.
Allison has also worked on behalf of three national training and technical assistance centers, including the National Center on Development Teaching and Learning with ZERO TO THREE, The National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement at the Center for the Study of Social Policy, and the National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations at Education Development Center (EDC). In these roles, she provided technical assistance and consultation to federal Head Start staff, community of practice facilitation, and product development for state leaders. Allison has also worked in philanthropy, working for two urban United Way’s, managing a variety of funded school readiness systems change initiatives. Prior to this, she worked as an early care and education as a toddler teacher in a NAEYC program, preschool teacher, and center Director, across several community-based non-profit organizations.
Allison is a doctoral candidate in Education Leadership and Policy at American University in Washington, D.C. She has attended Harvard University, Graduate School of Education, received two prior Masters degrees in Childhood Education and Counseling, and is an endorsed early childhood mental health practitioner through the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.
Allison Comport
Pre-Doctoral Intern
Allison brings over ten years of experience working in public administration, policy, and national training and technical assistance. Allison worked as an Educational Specialist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, supporting 4,000 members of the early care and education workforce on their professional pathways and credentialing. As State of Rhode Island CCDBG Co-Administrator and interim Head Start Collaboration Director. As subsidy administrator, Allison served more than 10,000 children, managed $95 million in funding, and served over 900 providers. As a state Early Learning Specialist for the State of Rhode Island, Allison served as a key architect on the state of Rhode Island’s State Pre-K program, managing at the time one of only two programs in the nation which received all 10 National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) benchmarks. In addition, she managed the design and launch of numerous comprehensive learning and development initiative for educators and families.
Allison brings a depth of experience having worked on numerous early care and education systems change initiatives, having supported Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, Preschool Development Grant 3-5, Preschool Development Grant B-5 initiatives, and COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts. Throughout these initiatives, Allison worked on the design and development of workforce knowledge and competencies, a redesign of the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), early learning standards for children, the design of the workforce registry, the design of an apprenticeship program, and numerous professional development and professional preparation and workforce compensation initiatives for the workforce.
Allison has also worked on behalf of three national training and technical assistance centers, including the National Center on Development Teaching and Learning with ZERO TO THREE, The National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement at the Center for the Study of Social Policy, and the National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations at Education Development Center (EDC). In these roles, she provided technical assistance and consultation to federal Head Start staff, community of practice facilitation, and product development for state leaders. Allison has also worked in philanthropy, working for two urban United Way’s, managing a variety of funded school readiness systems change initiatives. Prior to this, she worked as an early care and education as a toddler teacher in a NAEYC program, preschool teacher, and center Director, across several community-based non-profit organizations.
Allison is a doctoral candidate in Education Leadership and Policy at American University in Washington, D.C. She has attended Harvard University, Graduate School of Education, received two prior Masters degrees in Childhood Education and Counseling, and is an endorsed early childhood mental health practitioner through the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.