Eliana Pereyra is originally from The Bronx, NY, and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she is a second-year doctoral student in the Educational Policy Studies program at Georgia State University. Her research interests include the economics of education, equitable school finance, critical analyses of school funding mechanisms, and federal, state, and local policies that help school systems respond more effectively to the needs of local communities.   

Eliana brings over twenty years of experience in public K–12 education, serving at multiple levels in school districts across the country. Her work has included establishing leadership pipeline programs, strengthening human capital systems, and supporting executive searches. At Atlanta Public Schools, she created partnerships and structures to build collective leadership capacity. Previously, at Gwinnett County Public Schools, she supported school and district leadership pipeline programs. Her district-level journey began with the NYC Department of Education, where she supported the design and implementation of principal pipeline and teacher leadership opportunities across the city’s 1,800 schools.  

Her experience also spans nonprofit organizations, including New Leaders, as well as direct service as a school social worker supporting immigrant students and families. When she’s not reading for class, she’s reading for fun, practicing mindfulness, and “actively avoiding” cooking. Eliana has two teen sons and a wonderful supportive partner.