Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith is a former public school elementary and preschool teacher working in multiple states including New Mexico, Arizona and Mississippi. She served as senior education and workforce policy advisor to Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant as well as executive director of Mississippi’s State Early Childhood Council. In those roles, she spearheaded several legislative initiatives that significantly improved public education in the state. Her efforts included the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, early childhood education, school choice for special education students and accountability models for school districts. These reforms led to remarkable growth in reading and math achievement outcomes for Mississippi's students, earning the state the title of the "Mississippi Miracle". The state is now leading the nation for growth in reading and math scores.