She received her doctorate in Educational Administration from The Ohio State University. Her research looks at political efficacy of educational stakeholders and the organizational and political contexts which support democratic participation in school policy systems. Recent work looks at relations among political efficacy, demographic characteristics of teachers, and organizational characteristics such as collaboration. Prior to getting her doctorate, Lauren was a middle school English Language Arts (ELA) teacher in Brooklyn, New York, designed ELA curriculum and assessments for 5th-8th grade students, and served as a professional development and literacy coach in Columbus, Ohio.