Bethany Little is responsible for guiding the Alliance's policy work on key high school reform issues, including accountability, adolescent literacy, teacher quality, college preparation, and personalization. Little came to the Alliance from the Children's Defense Fund, where, as director of government relations, she guided advocacy efforts, provided policy direction, and managed grassroots efforts to impact federal policy. From 2001-2003, Little worked in the office of United States Senator Patty Murray (WA) as a legislative assistant focused on education, welfare, and children and families issues. Prior to that, she was associate director for the White House Domestic Policy Council and served as policy advisor to the President and the Vice President. She has held positions at the U.S. Department of Education, Council for Excellence in Government, the Presidential Inaugural Committee, and Clinton/Gore '96. Little serves on the Board of Directors of the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence. She is a graduate of Georgetown University with a B.S. in Foreign Service.