Positive Psychology: Character, Grit and Research Methods

Claire Robertson-Kraft earned her Ph.D. in education policy and is currently a post-doctoral fellow and the Associate Director of Operation Public Education at The University of Pennsylvania. She is the co-editor of A Grand Bargain for Education Reform: New Rewards and Supports for New Accountability (Harvard Education Press, 2009), which provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating, compensating, and developing teachers . Her research focuses on how these policies influence teachers’ motivation, effectiveness, and retention. After graduating from undergrad at Penn in 2004, Claire worked with Teach For America in Houston, first as a third grade teacher and then as a program director supporting elementary and special education teachers. It was during her time as a classroom teacher that she built the passion she has today for working in urban education. Claire is also very active in the Philadelphia civic community, serving as the Co-Founder and current President of PhillyCORE Leaders and on the boards of Youth Build Philadelphia, Leadership Philadelphia and Russell Byers Charter School.