Stephanie Schaefer, Ph.D.,is a preschool teacher, trainer, researcher, and policy analyst. She brings a breadth of experience in early childhood education, having worked for 25 years in the ECE field at the national, state, and local levels. She possesses a depth of expertise on early childhood development and early childhood systems and policies, as well as practical experience working in the classroom with young children.
Stephanie is an MSDE-approved (Maryland State Department of Education) trainer, providing Core of Knowledge and Continued trainings for child care and preschool teachers and staff. She also operates a consulting practice, providing research, data analysis and writing services to nonprofit and research organizations. Stephanie enjoys staying connected to the classroom, teaching preschool several mornings a week at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church Weekday Nursery School. She is also active in her local and state early childhood community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Montgomery County Chapter of the Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children, and on the Public Policy Committee of the Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children (MDAEYC).
Earlier in her career, Stephanie worked for several national nonprofit children’s organizations as a policy analyst, researcher and advocate. She served as Co-Director of Research at the Council for a Strong America, working with state and national advocates to make the research case for investments in early learning with law enforcement and business leaders for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids and ReadyNation. She worked extensively with state advocates while at Voices for America’s Children, providing training and technical assistance to a national network of advocates on ECE and income supports policy. As a Policy Analyst at the Alliance for Children and Families, Stephanie lobbied at the federal level and worked in national coalitions on a variety of child and family services issues including child care, juvenile justice, mental health, and welfare reform. She completed her B.A. in psychology at Drew University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in human development and family studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Photo credit: David F. Choy
Schaefer Consulting 