Clara Haskell Botstein serves as Chief of Staff for the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME), where she advances the office’s strategic priorities for DC’s education and workforce development systems. Clara previously served as the DME’s Senior Director of Policy and Legislative Director, leading efforts to expand college and career pathways for students and overseeing the office’s legislative and political priorities. Prior to the DME, Clara worked in leadership at the Bard Early College, a network of public early colleges that allow high school students to earn college credits up to an associate degree, free of charge, alongside a high school diploma. Clara established new schools in Baltimore, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. and led policy and advocacy work at the local, state, and federal levels. Clara has nearly two decades of experience in policy and advocacy work in the field of education and youth development. Clara holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor's degree in history from Princeton University. She lives in Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C. She co-founded Petworth PorchFest, DC’s largest neighborhood music festival, and serves on the board of the Uptown Main Street.