Natalie Wagner (Chair) serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Governor. Ms. Wagner previously served as the Director of Legal Affairs in the Connecticut State Department of Education, and as the Undersecretary of Legal Affairs in the Office of Policy and Management.

Charlene Russell-Tucker (Vice Chair) serves as the Commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Education, is President-Elect of the Council of Chief State School Officers and is on the executive committee of the Education Commission of the States.

Eric Berthel (Senate Minority Leader Designee) is a State Senator in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing residents of Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Oxford, Roxbury, Southbury, Washington, Watertown, Woodbury, and portions of Bethel, Brookfield, Middlebury, and Seymour. Senator Berthel is a member of the Senate Republican Caucus, a ranking member of the Education Committee, among others, and a member of the Select Committee on Special Education.

Mary Calorio is a Regional Town Administrator and Director of Transit at the Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, serving the Towns of Canterbury, Chaplin and Pomfret. Ms. Calorio also serves as President of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns.

Casey Cobb is the Neag Endowed Professor in Educational Policy at the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Cobb is a National Education Policy Center Fellow and his current research areas include school choice, accountability, and school reform, where he examines the implications for equity and educational opportunity.

Kate Dias is President of the Connecticut Education Association and a 21-year veteran high school math teacher. A longtime mentor for new educators, Dias began her career in an alternative education program, working with students at risk of dropping out.

Justin Elicker serves as the Mayor of the city of New Haven. Among other positions in public service, Elicker previously worked as a teacher for elementary and high school students and as an adjunct professor of education policy at Southern Connecticut State University.

Tina Courpas (House Minority Leader Designee) is a State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing residents of Greenwich and Stamford. Representative Courpas is a member of the House Republican Caucus and the Education Committee and serves as the ranking member of the Select Committee on Special Education.

Lisa Hammersley is Executive Director of the School and State Finance Project, a nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring equitable education funding for all Connecticut students. Ms. Hammersley previously worked as the budget director and chief legislative analyst for the Senate Republican Caucus and as a budget specialist and analyst at Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management.

Jenita Hayes is a proud wife and mother of three daughters, two of whom attend Bridgeport Public Schools, a system she herself is a product of. Beyond her professional role, she is an active member of her community, including as a teacher in Bridgeport for the Children’s Leadership Training Institute of the National Parent Leadership Institute.

Steven Hernández is the Executive Director of ConnCAN, a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to ensure that each child in Connecticut has equitable access to high-quality public education.

Jan Hochadel is President of AFT Connecticut, a Vice President on the American Federation of Teacher’s national executive board and serves as a State Senator in the Connecticut General Assembly, where she represents residents of Meridan and parts of Cheshire, Middletown and Middlefield.

Julie Kushner (Senate President Pro Tempore Designee) is a State Senator in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing residents of Danbury, New Fairfield, and Ridgefield. Senator Kushner is a member of the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Education Committee, among others.

Jennifer Leeper (House Speaker Designee) is a State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing residents of Fairfield and Southport. Representative Leeper is a member of the House Democratic Caucus and is the House Chair of the Education Committee.

Damon Lewis is the Principal of the Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk. Dr. Lewis was named the 2025 Middle School Principal of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools and the 2025–26 National Middle School Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Leonard Lockhart is Vice President and Finance Chair of the Windsor Board of Education, President of the National School Boards Association and is the Immediate Past President of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.

Joseph Macary is the Superintendent of the Vernon Public Schools and will move into the role of Superintendent of the Middletown Public Schools in July 2026. Mr. Macary was celebrated as the Superintendent of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Public Schools Superintendents in 2024.

Joshua Martin is the Director of Student Support Services at the East Granby Public Schools and is the President-Elect of the Connecticut Council of Administrators of Special Education.

Joseph Martino is the Director of Finance and Operations in the Pomperaug Regional School District 15, which serves students from the towns of Middlebury and Southbury, and is a recent past president of the Connecticut Association of School Business Officials.

Jeffrey Newton is Superintendent of the East Lyme Public Schools and was recognized as the 2026 Connecticut Superintendent of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. Mr. Newton began his career as a special education teacher.

Eric Protulis is the Executive Director of EASTCONN, one of Connecticut’s six Regional Education Service Centers, which provides educational and related services to 36 school districts in northeastern Connecticut. Mr. Protulis previously worked in district roles including  Director of Special Education and Pupil Services and School Psychologist.

Hyclis Williams is a Family Advocate for the New Haven Public Schools and serves as President of the New Haven Paraprofessionals, AFSCME Local 3429.

Joshua Wojcik serves as Secretary of the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management and previously served as the Director of Health Policy and Benefits for the Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller.

Join a Listening Session

Listening sessions are an opportunity for members of the public to share thoughts, questions, and concerns for the commission. Listening sessions take place twice a week. To view the full schedule and register for a time of your choosing, click here. Registration is required at least 24 hours in advance. If you have any questions, please reach out to k12commission@ct.gov.

Take the Survey

Members of the public are invited to take the short survey to share perspectives on K-12 education funding and accountability. To access the survey, click here.