Prior to joining Brownsville Ascend Middle School as school director, Lauren Kinrich served as dean of instruction for fifth and sixth grade humanities at Brooklyn Ascend Middle School, where she developed and mentored English and social studies teachers whose students are some of the highest-achieving students across Ascend’s middle schools. During this time, she also served as a resident school director, training under some of Ascend’s strongest school and network leaders. Before joining Ascend Kinrich was an administrator at Curtis Guild Elementary School in East Boston, where she assisted the school’s principal in teacher coaching, operations management, and school culture. Earlier, Kinrich held roles as a teaching assistant, middle school ELA teacher, and grade team leader at schools in Massachusetts. She started her career as a City Year corps member, serving as an after school program coordinator in Los Angeles. Kinrich holds a bachelor’s in religious studies from Pomona College and two master’s degrees—a master’s in theological studies (MTS) from Harvard Divinity School, and an M.Ed. in school leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.