Laura Handler is an adjunct professor and educational researcher at UNC Charlotte. She received both her Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language and her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction (focusing on urban elementary education) from UNCC. Prior to that, she majored in Elementary Education at UNC Chapel Hill. Laura taught in CMS for nine years, focusing on family outreach and community partnerships. These experiences drive current research interests in educational equity, school choice and the Latinx community. Her three-year-old son attends Children of the World Learning Center.