Megan Blanco’s policy work focuses on student health and well-being. She brings more than a decade of experience in education delivery, policy analysis, coalition building, and government relations to this work. Blanco served as a senior legislative assistant at the Corporation for National and Community Service under two presidential administrations before joining NASBE. In this role, she supported agency leadership and Congressional offices in advancing policy solutions that enabled more Americans of all ages to serve and be change agents in their communities. Previously, she served as an advisor to U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu and specialized in education, appropriations, child welfare, national service and social welfare issues. She began her career as a Kindergarten teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is a proud graduate of Louisiana State University and the George Washington University.
Latest Contributions
Healthy School Facilities Network
By Megan BlancoThe National Association of State Boards of Education has created the Healthy School Facilities Network (HSFN) to build and enhance the capacity of states to provide healthy school facilities. A 2021 NASBE landscape analysis of state-level programs for testing lead in school drinking water found states encounter challenges in the areas of outreach and coordination, transparent communication, […]
Enhancing School-Based Health Services
By Megan BlancoSchool-based health services (SBHS) are a powerful, yet underused strategy to expand equitable healthcare to students.
Investing Equitably in School Facilities
By Megan BlancoWith newly available federal infrastructure funding, states can direct resources toward school facilities with the most need.
States Build Support for Students Who Are Homeless
By Megan BlancoSeveral states are leveraging $800 million under the American Rescue Plan’s Homeless Children and Youth Program to better address the short- and long-term needs of students experiencing homelessness.
Teacher Licensure Collaborative
By Megan BlancoNASBE is partnering with the Learning Policy Institute and other national organizations on the recently launched Teacher Licensure Collaborative (TLC). The collaborative will build on the work of the Educator Preparation Laboratory (EdPrepLab) and Whole Child Policy Table to support states in reviewing and revising state licensure and certification standards that incorporate whole child practices […]